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  • Gin Hangovers | Effects, Causes, Prevention, & Cures

    Published on September 27, 2021
    Gin Hangovers | Effects, Causes, Prevention, & Cures

    If you drink too much gin in a single sitting, you may end up with hangover symptoms the next day. Hangovers are an unpleasant side effect of drinking alcohol too much, and hangover symptoms can get in the way of your daily routine.

    Gin is a high alcohol content drink with a signature juniper berry flavoring. People who drink a lot of gin may see it as their “tipple,” or choice of alcoholic drink. Like any other form of alcohol, gin can cause hangovers and other health effects.

    Effects Of A Gin Hangover

    Hangover symptoms happen when your body is trying to break down high amounts of ethanol (the main active ingredient in alcoholic drinks). If you drink high amounts of alcohol, your body may not metabolize it completely until the next day, which is when hangover symptoms happen.

    Side effects of a hangover from drinking too much gin include:

    • nausea
    • dizziness
    • tiredness
    • vertigo
    • sensitivity to light
    • increased blood pressure
    • irritability

    Studies show that uncomfortable hangover symptoms can reduce your productivity at work the next day, impair your driving, and put you at a higher risk for injury.

    Potential Causes Of A Hangover

    Having too many alcoholic beverages can often lead to a hangover. Other factors are still being studied, but several factors are common across different hangovers. Gin has some properties that make you more likely to get a hangover than other types of alcohol.

    Congeners

    Congeners are byproducts and preservatives that end up in alcohol after distillation. Congeners are often linked to severe hangover symptoms. Darker liquors like tequila, red wine, or dark rum are higher in congeners than clear liquors like gin or vodka.

    Dehydration

    Dehydration on the night you drink is often linked to a bad hangover the next morning. Ethanol is a diuretic that makes you urinate more often, and it gets harder to hold on to water. Juniper berries are also a diuretic, making gin a unique alcoholic drink to study for hangovers.

    Preventing A Gin Hangover

    Low alcohol consumption in one sitting is one of the most effective ways to avoid feeling hungover. Gin has a high alcohol content and can be mixed into many cocktails, so it can be easy to drink too much of it.

    If you decide to drink gin, not drinking on an empty stomach can help. Eating carbohydrates can reduce your body’s alcohol absorption, leading to less alcohol ending up in the blood. 

    Drinking plenty of water along with alcohol can help you stay hydrated. The gin and tonic cocktail recipe calls for tonic water, which can hydrate you along with regular water.

    Curing A Gin Hangover

    Homemade hangover cures include drinking plenty of water, eating food, or taking a cold shower. One cure even suggests drinking more alcohol to help with your hangover, known as “hair of the dog.”

    These suggestions may help your symptoms in some cases, but there are no scientifically proven ways to cure a hangover other than time. Your body has to flush all the alcohol out of your system before you can stop feeling hungover, which takes time.

    Avoiding alcohol is likely best if you’re trying to recover from a hangover. While the hair of the dog treatment may delay a hangover, it may lead to some of the worst hangover symptoms once the alcohol finally wears off.

    If you feel like gin is getting in the way of your life, you may have a drinking problem. To find professional help for a drinking problem, please contact our helpline today.

    Written by Ark Behavioral Health Editorial Team
    ©2024 Ark National Holdings, LLC. | All Rights Reserved.
    This page does not provide medical advice.
    Sources

    British Broadcasting Corporation - Does hair of the dog actually work?
    National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Hangovers
    National Library of Medicine: PubMed Central - The Alcohol Hangover Research Group Consensus Statement on Best Practice in Alcohol Hangover Research

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