How does pickle juice help hangovers

Not just because I'm a fan of Irish whiskey , but because it included an accompanying shot of my favorite salty sidekick: pickle juice. It's a perfect chaser — the salty sourness of the juice completely eliminates the burning taste of whiskey after you take your shot.

And I had also heard that the greenish brine was a secret cure for hangovers. Since I was always on a quest to finally outsmart my inevitable next-day headache, I didn't just use pickle juice as the second act for my whiskey.

My college roommates and I would stumble into our apartment after a long night out and crowd around the fridge to eat pickles and take sips of the freshly opened jars of kosher dills this was pre-COVID times, of course.

Although it was fun and I have fond memories of our postgame pickle parties, I still never knew for sure whether or not all that brine drinking actually made a dent in my hangovers. The expert answer is: Probably not. Pickle juice contains both sodium and potassium, two important electrolytes that may be depleted after we enjoy one too many glasses of pinot grigio or shots of whiskey, according to Abisola Olulade, MD , a family medicine physician based in San Diego.

But that doesn't mean drinking pickle juice in the hopes of replenishing those electrolytes actually gets the job done. Olulade explains. She points out that reaching for electrolyte-rich liquids, such as Gatorade, after a night of drinking might "work" for hangovers, but not because of those electrolytes — it's because they're actually hydrating you. Science has shown that your hangover peaks roughly 12 hours after you start drinking around the time your BAC returns to zero.

This might explain why cultures all over the world include a little hair of the dog that bit you in their hangover cures. Our favorite? The Bloody Mary , of course. Pickle Juice. But think about it for a moment—the symptoms of early pregnancy nausea, bloating and the feeling like your equilibrium is a bit off sound an awful lot like a hangover.

Bonus: Order a Pickle Back and you can get a head start. Greasy, Wonderful Diner Breakfast. Late night. Early morning. The moment when your heaping order of sizzling sausages, buttery waffles, glistening fried eggs, crispy potatoes and large mug of coffee sludge arrives, you lean your head back against the naugahyde booth, and feel your will to live return.

Science will also tell you—after a couple drinks—about the importance of the Placebo Effect. According to him, the salts in pickle juice replenish electrolytes that you lose while drinking, which can make your headache disappear. But is getting over a hangover really as easy as taking a swig from the pickle jar in your fridge? Well, probably not. Iroku-Malize says. She suggests that people drink a whole glass of water with every alcoholic drink to make the hangover sting less.

The only way to really prevent a hangover is to not drink too much, Dr. The next best thing to do is drink lots and lots of water—not gulp down some pickle juice.