For those who got deep into the holiday spirits, there’s an amino acid that may be able to alleviate your hangover.
Americans tend to drink double their usual amount of alcohol during the holidays — that’s a lot of egg nog that goes straight to the noggin. Hangover symptoms, which usually start a few hours after last call, include fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, anxiety, irritability and depression.
Drinking plenty of water, taking a pain reliever like ibuprofen, eating bland foods like crackers and getting adequate rest can help speed up recovery.
Research out of Finland found that L-cysteine can also prevent or ease hangover-related nausea, headaches, stress and anxiety.
L-cysteine is an amino acid, meaning that it contributes to the synthesis of new proteins within the body.
L-cysteine also increases levels of glutathione, an antioxidant that helps repair damaged cells and supports liver detoxification. Most alcohol is metabolized in the liver.
Our bodies produce cysteine from the amino acid methionine — many high-protein foods contain cysteine as well. L-cysteine can also be found in nutritional supplements in the form of N-acetyl cysteine.
A writer for Metro in the UK said this week that she took two tablets of Myrkl, an “anti-hangover” supplement that boasts L-cysteine, vitamin B12 and probiotic bacteria, before downing five beers and two tequila shots.
“I feel pretty good,” Lydia Wheatley shared. “I’ve got the light wooziness of a night well done, but my nausea is pretty much non-existent and head is fairly clear. I do actually feel somewhat fresh.”
L-cysteine is certainly no magic bullet. The 2020 Finnish study — the strongest evidence yet for L-cysteine improving hangovers — had several limitations.
There were only 19 study participants (all male), and the supplement contained many vitamins and nutrients, so it’s unclear if L-cysteine should get all the credit.
Plus, the research was funded by Catapult Cat, which manufactures the L-cysteine tablets consumed in the study.
Still, there’s no harm in adding L-cysteine to your diet, especially after a long night of drinking. Here are some foods that contain the amino acid.
Foods that contain L-cysteine
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Pork
- Skirt steak
- Beef liver
- Sausage meat
- Luncheon meats
- Tuna
- Crab cakes
- Yogurt
- Ricotta
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Wheat germ
- Granola
- Oatmeal
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lima beans
- Sunflower seeds
- Red peppers
