You woke up with a headache, dry mouth, and that fog that says last night caught up with you. Your first instinct is to chug water, but plain water alone does not replace what alcohol pulled out of your system: sodium, potassium, and the fluid balance your body needs.
Electrolyte drinks can be useful for replacing fluids and minerals, but the ingredients and amounts vary widely between products. Here’s what works for hangover hydration, and what to skip.
Why Hangover Hydration Starts With Electrolytes
Plain water helps, but it only goes so far. When your electrolyte levels are depleted, your body can't absorb water efficiently. You drink a glass, and most of it passes right through.
This is where the World Health Organization's Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) science becomes relevant. ORS is a specific ratio of sodium, potassium, and glucose designed to activate a co-transport mechanism in your gut that pulls water directly into your bloodstream. It was originally developed to treat severe dehydration from illness, but the same principle applies to the fluid loss caused by alcohol.
An electrolyte drink built on ORS science gives your body what it needs to actually absorb the water you're drinking. That's the difference between sipping water all morning and still feeling wrecked, versus bouncing back in an hour.
What Helps With a Hangover Besides Water
If you're searching for hangover relief beyond a glass of tap water, here's what the science supports:
Electrolyte Drinks With the Right Formula
Not all electrolyte drinks are the same. The best option for hangover hydration is one with balanced sodium, potassium, and a small amount of glucose, with no added sugar or artificial ingredients. Cure's Electrolyte Drink Mix is built on this exact ORS formula: 240mg sodium, 300mg potassium, 2g glucose. Made with coconut water, pink Himalayan salt, and real fruit juice.
Food (When You Can Handle It)
Potassium-rich foods like bananas and avocados help replenish what alcohol flushed out. Bland carbs (toast, crackers) can settle nausea. Eggs contain cysteine, an amino acid that helps your liver process acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism.
Rest and Time
Your liver processes alcohol at a fixed rate (roughly one standard drink per hour). No drink, supplement, or IV bag speeds that up. What electrolytes do is address the dehydration and mineral loss that cause most hangover symptoms.
What About Hangover IV? How Does It Compare?
Hangover IV drips have become popular, with some clinics offering saline and vitamin infusions for $100 to $300 per session. The goal is to replace fluids and electrolytes through an IV rather than by mouth.
For most people who can drink and keep fluids down, an oral electrolyte drink is a simpler, less invasive option. IV fluids may be considered when someone is significantly dehydrated or unable to keep fluids down, but that is a situation where medical advice is more appropriate than relying on an IV clinic alone.
What to Drink (And What to Skip)
Not every morning-after drink is equally useful for hydration. Here’s how the common morning recovery hangover drink options compare:
- ORS-based electrolyte mix: Good option for replacing fluids and electrolytes, especially when you want a balanced formula.
- Coconut water: Fine for fluids and potassium, but lower in sodium than ORS.
- Sports drinks: Can help with fluids and electrolytes, but often contain more added sugar.
- Pedialyte: Provides fluids and electrolytes, but check the label for sugar and sodium levels.
- Coffee: Fine in moderation if you normally drink it, but don’t rely on it as your main source of hydration.
How to Use Electrolytes Around a Night Out
The best strategy is both before and after. Drop a stick of Cure into water before you go to bed. Then have another one first thing in the morning. This gives your body the best shot at replacing what alcohol depleted overnight.
Keep a Variety Pack stocked so you always have a few flavors ready. They're small enough to carry in a jacket pocket or keep in your nightstand drawer.
Skip the Gimmicks. Just Rehydrate
A hangover has more than one cause, and no drink can make it disappear. But replacing fluids and electrolytes can help address dehydration-related symptoms and make the morning more manageable. Sip gradually, eat when you can, and give your body time to recover.
Shop Cure and give your next morning a head start.
Cure is not a medical product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If symptoms persist, talk to your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Electrolyte Drinks Actually Help With a Hangover?
Yes. Alcohol suppresses the hormone that tells your kidneys to retain water, leading to rapid fluid and electrolyte loss. An electrolyte drink with balanced sodium, potassium, and glucose helps your body reabsorb water more efficiently, addressing the dehydration behind most hangover symptoms.
Is It Better to Drink Electrolytes Before or After Drinking Alcohol?
Both. Having electrolytes before bed helps offset the fluid loss that happens while you sleep. Another serving in the morning replenishes whatever your body lost overnight. The closer you pair electrolytes with the dehydration event, the better.
What Should I Avoid the Morning After?
Skip "hair of the dog" (more alcohol just delays the hangover), high-sugar sports drinks (they add calories without efficient rehydration), and excessive caffeine on an empty stomach. Focus on electrolytes, water, and bland food you can keep down.
Are Hangover IV Drips Better Than Electrolyte Drinks?
IV drips deliver saline and electrolytes directly into your bloodstream, but an ORS-based oral electrolyte drink achieves the same rehydration result for a fraction of the cost. IVs make sense if you're severely dehydrated and unable to keep fluids down.
How Much Water Should I Drink to Cure a Hangover?
There's no magic number, but alternating one glass of water with electrolytes for every two or three alcoholic drinks helps. The morning after, start with 8-16 fl oz of water mixed with an electrolyte drink and keep sipping throughout the day.
Can I Drink Cure if I'm Still Feeling Nauseous?
Yes. Cure's formula is light (25 calories, no added sugar) and the mild flavors like Lemonade or Ginger Turmeric are easy on a sensitive stomach. Small, frequent sips tend to work better than chugging a full glass at once.
