The 8 reasons you have awful hangovers even after just TWO drinks – and the must-do hacks to avoid it

Scottish Sun

28-06-2025

Eating cereal may help you prepare for a night of drinks, or in the morning
DOUBLE TROUBLE The 8 reasons you have awful hangovers even after just TWO drinks – and the must-do hacks to avoid it
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APEROL spritz at the Saturday BBQ, rosé after work and G&Ts in the garden - summer is here, but with booze comes the dreaded 'next day'.
What's worse, is that sometimes, it can only take a couple of drinks to feel the effects of a hangover.
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Waking up feeling rough after just a couple? You're certainly not alone!
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Laura Jennings, nutritionist and founder of the NutriMethod tells Sun Health that typically, a hangover sets in as the blood alcohol level starts to drop, often peaking when there's no alcohol left in the system.
'Hangovers can last for up to 24 hours,' she adds.
But, there are some reasons why you might end up suffering the next day, even if you kept your alcohol intake to a minimum…
1. You're dehydrated
DRINKING water is the number one rule of avoiding a hangover.
So, if you're not doing it, there's your first clue as to why you feel it even after a couple.
While drinking water won't stop you getting a hangover, it could help reduce the severity of your symptoms, Laura says.
She adds: 'Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it encourages your body to lose more water through urine.
'It does this by blocking the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin, which normally helps your body regulate water excretion.
'As a result, you can become dehydrated and that alone can cause symptoms like fatigue, headache and dry mouth.'
Make sure you're hydrated throughout the day, not just when you're drinking alcohol. Aim for 1.5 to two litres of water each day.
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When drinking, use the 'zebra striping' method - one alcoholic beverage, one water. And make sure to hydrate on route home.
2. Your drinks are dark
NOT all alcohol affects you the same way when it comes to hangovers.
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Make sure to drink water throughout the evening AND once you get home
Credit: Alamy
'Clear spirits such as vodka and gin tend to cause fewer symptoms because they contain lower levels of congeners, which are compounds produced during fermentation and distillation,' says Laura.
Darker drinks like whiskey and brandy are higher in these by-products, which can make hangovers feel worse.
In people who are susceptible, a spike in histamine and serotonin can lead to symptoms such as flushing, headaches or nasal congestion
Laura Jennings
'Some of these congeners, like methanol, can be broken down into toxic substances such as formaldehyde and formic acid in the body,' says Laura.
'Thankfully, our body has enzymes that help clear these toxins out, but if you've had a lot to drink, or you're dehydrated, the system can get overwhelmed, which may contribute to the severity of a hangover.'
3. You drink red over white
IF you're a red wine over white kind of a drinker then your hangover might be worse.
Red wine has more of those pesky congeners than white, Laura says, adding: 'Red wine also contains more histamine and serotonin-releasing compounds than white wine or spirits like vodka.
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Go for white wine over red- which has more chemicals that induce a hangover
Credit: Alamy
'In people who are susceptible, this spike in histamine and serotonin can lead to symptoms such as flushing, headaches or nasal congestion, often mistaken for classic hangover effects.'
She adds that red wine also contains more quercetin, a polyphenol (antioxidant) found in significantly higher amounts in red wine.
Research in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that quercetin might interfere with alcohol metabolism, especially in people with a variant of the enzyme ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2).
'This enzyme helps break down acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol,' Laura says.
'If this process is slowed or impaired, acetaldehyde can build up, leading to more severe hangover symptoms like headache, nausea and fatigue.'
4. Your diet is filled with UPFs
ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS, such as cereals, processed meats, cakes, chocolate, crisps, ice-cream and fizzy drinks, could make your hangover worse.
Laura says: 'These foods provide little in the way of protective micronutrients and can amplify inflammation and blood sugar swings, both of which can intensify hangover symptoms.'
Drinking alcohol can mess with your blood sugar because it makes it harder for your body to produce glucose.
Women have less body water and lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that metabolises alcohol
Dr Mohammed Najjar
'This can lead to dips in blood glucose, which might explain why people feel shaky, tired or irritable after drinking,' says Laura.
Drinking on an empty stomach could also make your hangover worse.
But, on the flip side, Laura adds: 'Eating nutrient-dense, whole foods rich in B vitamins and minerals like zinc before drinking may help take the edge off a hangover.'
Research in the journal of Clinical Medicine found that vitamin B3 and zinc play a pivotal role in reducing the severity of hangovers, especially when it comes to symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
'These nutrients are involved in alcohol metabolism and help the body break down acetaldehyde, the toxic by-product of alcohol that contributes to hangover symptoms,' explains Laura.
'Foods rich in zinc include legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and shellfish, while B3 can be found in poultry, brown rice, mushrooms and fortified cereals. Including these foods in your meals before drinking could help support your body's detox pathways.'
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If your diet is heavy in ultraprocessed foods, you're more likely to feel the effects of alcohol
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However, some cereals are fortified with B vitamins, which can help with fatigue and low energy
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5. You're relying on hangover supplements
THERE'S a lot of hangover supplements on the market which make promising claims.
Have you given them a go, only to find you are still hungover, even after just two drinks?
That's because most of these supplements aren't backed by strong scientific evidence, says Laura.
'While a few small studies have looked at individual ingredients that may help with specific symptoms like nausea or headaches, there's currently no solid, peer-reviewed research in humans to confirm that these products are safe or consistently effective at preventing or treating hangovers,' she says.
So while you might benefit from some minor symptom relief, there's no proven supplement that can reliably prevent or cure a hangover.
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Hangover supplement are all the rage. But there isn't a huge amount of research to say they work, so don't rely on them
Credit: Getty
6. It's your medications
IF you're taking medications, these could have an impact on how your body metabolises alcohol, which could make your hangover worse.
'These include some pain relievers such as acetaminophen, NSAIDs (medicines that relieve pain, reduce inflammation and bring down a high temperature, such as ibuprofen and aspirin) and some antidepressants,' says Dr Mohammed Najjar, Medical Director of Jorja Healthcare Group.
Some medications require you to avoid alcohol at all costs. Dr Najjar recommends speaking to your GP if you're concerned.
7. You're a woman
GENETICS do play a role in how you metabolise alcohol.
Dr Najjar says: 'Although men and women tend to metabolise alcohol at approximately the same rate, women appear to have a higher rate of alcohol elimination.'
This can mean women feel the effects of alcohol more strongly.
'This could be due to a number of factors such as the smaller lean body mass in women which leads to higher alcohol concentration per unit of lean body mass, and also due to the fact that women have less body water and lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that metabolises alcohol,' adds Dr Najjar.
The menstrual cycle can impact how severe a hangover is.
Dr Najjar says that some women notice their hangovers are worse during the luteal phase (the week before your period).
'Levels of the hormone progesterone levels increase significantly during this phase, and oestrogen levels also remain elevated,' says Dr Najjar.
'It's possible that these hormone changes can cause more acetaldehyde to remain in the body after drinking alcohol which can result in hangover symptoms.'
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Women metabolise alcohol differently which means they may feel the impact of a hangover more
Credit: Getty
Surprising hangover cures
If you've woken up with a groggy head and an aching body from a day or night on the booze, you need to nourish your body to help it regain strength.
Unhealthy, high calorie foods could derail you weight loss efforts as well as make the hangover worse.
Shona Wilkinson, Nutritionist at Dr.Vegan says: 'Excessive alcohol consumption damages your liver. To detox your liver and alleviate nasty hangover symptoms such as nausea, headaches, and dehydration, try some of the below ingredients.'
Onions and garlic
Both of these foods contain a nutrient called sulphur, according to Shona, which is essential in liver detoxification.
'Toxins in the body essentially join to the sulphur and are then excreted from the body.'
Lemon peel
Adding some lemon peel to a glass of water or shaving some onto your food could help alleviate some of your hangover symptoms.
Shona says: 'Lemon peel contains a substance called limonene, which helps your body to detoxify itself by removing carcinogens from the body.
'There is research that suggests lemon peel may even offer an effective solution to migraines and headaches, given that it's a great source of Vitamin C.'
Grapefruit
It's the substance naringin in grapefruits, which helps to protect the liver from all kinds of damage.
Shona says: 'There are a lot of medicines out there that don't mix too well with grapefruit however, so consult your GP before adding too much grapefruit into your diet if you're on any prescribed medications.'
Pickle juice
An odd one, but pickle juice is packed with electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which Shona says are essential in a whole host of the body's vital processes.
She says: 'Electrolytes help to keep us hydrated by regulating the amount of water in our cells to ensure they're able to function properly.
'If you're hungover, it's the perfect remedy.'