TL;DR — The best vitamins for hangovers are vitamin B12, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and chloride. These will help boost your energy levels, detoxify your cells, and replenish essential electrolytes so you can rehydrate.
You just woke up after an aggressive night of drinking (who ordered those tequila shots?) and you’re greeted with the usual hangover symptoms: a pounding headache, a queasy stomach, and a mouth as dry as summer in the Sahara.
As you grapple with the pain and regret, your brain might tell you to DoorDash a greasy breakfast burrito. But your body is craving something way more important: vitamins and minerals.
Water alone won’t cut it when you’re trying to rally after last night’s booze sesh. You need nutrients to alleviate your symptoms and kickstart the recovery process. Keep reading to find out which five are the most important.
Shameless plug alert: we’re packin’ all of the following nutrients in our Weekend Recovery and Athletic Recovery formulas.
1. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 (AKA Methylcobalamin) is arguably the best vitamin for hangover recovery, thanks to its roles in energy production, liver support, and nervous system function. It’s like your one friend who instantly elevates the vibe of the party wherever they go.
Alcohol consumption temporarily disrupts your body's metabolism, leading to fatigue. By replenishing B12 levels, your body can more effectively metabolize nutrients to give you an energy boost.
B12 also helps your liver process toxins, potentially reducing alcohol-induced liver damage.
Lastly, B12 supports your body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters, which can help mitigate symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and mood swings caused by alcohol's neurotoxic effects.
The easiest (and quickest) way to replenish your vitamin B12 levels is with a hangover supplement like WaterBoy. Our Weekend Recovery formula delivers 500% of your daily value of B12.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C comes in clutch for hangover relief because of its antioxidant properties and roles in immune system support and alcohol metabolism.
When you hit the booze, your body experiences oxidative stress due to an increased production of free radicals during alcohol metabolism. Vitamin C neutralizes those free radicals, which can alleviate symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
Heavy drinking also impairs your immune system, making you vulnerable to infections and inflammation. Luckily, vitamin C reinforces your body’s defense mechanisms. It’s like a really intimidating bouncer for bad stuff trying to get into your cells.
Moreover, vitamin C helps your body metabolize alcohol more efficiently, speeding up your body’s recovery process.
You could chug a bunch of sugary orange juice to get your vitamin C—or you could treat yourself to WaterBoy, which has all the vitamin C you need, without any of the sugar you don’t need.
3. Magnesium
Alcohol zaps essential electrolytes out of your body, one of which is magnesium. This mineral is responsible for regulating muscle function, supporting hydration, and neutralizing free radicals. Accordingly, replenishing your magnesium levels the morning after drinking is a no-brainer.
You can find magnesium in seeds, nuts, leafy greens…and inside every stick of WaterBoy hydration supplements.
4. Chloride
Chloride is sometimes called the “queen of electrolytes”—and for good reason. It’s one of the most abundant electrolytes in your body, with key roles in the regulation of body fluids and electrolyte balance.
Unfortunately, you pee out a bunch of chloride when you consume alcohol, which is a diuretic. That’s why you feel thirsty, tired, and maybe even dizzy the day after drinking. Drinking water might parch your thirst, but it doesn’t technically rehydrate you the way chloride can. That’s why we loaded WaterBoy with 1,685 mg of chloride—that’s 70% of your daily value in one small stick!
5. Potassium
Potassium plays a lot of roles in your body, from maintaining fluid balance to supporting muscle function. But when you bring alcohol into the mix, it blocks the production of hormones that help your body retain water, leading to dehydration and a potential potassium deficiency.
If you’re planning on getting tipsy, replenishing your potassium levels should be at the top of your to-do list the next morning.
Get Tipsy? Get WaterBoy
We all know alcohol drains your bladder—and your ability to make smart decisions (hello, risky DMs). But more importantly, it drains your body of essential vitamins and minerals you need to live your best life.
Sure, you can take cold showers and chug cold water. But unless you replenish those nutrients, you’re not going to feel 100% for a long time. You probably won’t be in the mood to go to the grocery store or make a meal when you’re suffering through the aftermath of a Wine Wednesday gone wrong.
That’s why we stuffed all the best vitamins for hangover relief into WaterBoy: our sugar-free electrolyte supplement to make the morning after suck less.
Hydration + Weekend Recovery
$24.99
💧 3,200mg of electrolytes 🚫 0g of sugar 🤢 raw ginger extract for nausea 😌 l-theanine to help you chill ⚡️ vitamins to help you bounce back … read more
