We’ve all been there, a fun night out with friends, a few too many drinks, and waking up with a pounding headache, dry mouth, and fatigue. The culprit? Dehydration from alcohol.
While alcohol can be enjoyable in moderation, it’s a diuretic, meaning it flushes water out of your system, leading to dehydration and nasty hangovers. But you can drink alcohol while staying hydrated, if you follow the right strategies.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
✔ Why alcohol dehydrates you
✔ How to hydrate before, during, and after drinking
✔ The best drinks to minimize dehydration
✔ Recovery hacks to bounce back faster
Why Does Alcohol Cause Dehydration?
Alcohol inhibits antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which normally helps your body retain water. Instead, it makes you pee more, leading to fluid loss. Other factors that worsen dehydration include:
• High alcohol content e.g., wine and spirits dehydrate faster than beer (research reference 1).
• Sugary mixers - they slow water absorption (reference 5)
• Not drinking water alongside alcohol.
The result? A dehydrated body, headache, dizziness, and that dreaded hangover.
How to Stay Hydrated While Drinking Alcohol
1. Before Drinking: Prep Your Body
• Drink 1-2 glasses of water before your first alcoholic beverage.
• Eat a balanced meal with healthy fats, protein, and electrolytes (avocado, nuts, bananas)
• Avoid salty snacks—they increase thirst but don’t hydrate you.
2. During Drinking: Hydrate Strategically
• Follow the 1:1 rule – One glass of water for every alcoholic drink.
• Choose lower-ABV drinks (light beer, wine spritzers) over hard liquor.
• Choose clean liquors like gin or vodka, which are less likely to cause hangovers compared to dark ones like whisky due to their lower levels of toxic congeners
• Sip, don’t gulp – Slower drinking = better hydration.
3. After Drinking: Recover Like a Pro
• Drink water before bed.
• Replenish electrolytes with sports drinks, coconut water, or a banana. (research reference 2)
• Avoid coffee the next morning—it’s a diuretic and can worsen dehydration.
• Eat a recovery meal with dietary nicotinic acid and zinc (e.g. chicken, salmon, eggs, chickpeas, brown rice (research reference 3)
Best Drinks to Reduce Dehydration
Not all alcoholic drinks dehydrate you equally. Here’s a ranking from least to most dehydrating:
1. Light beer (lower alcohol, more water content)
2. Wine spritzer (diluted with soda water)
3. Gin and diet tonic or Vodka soda with lime (no sugar, hydrating mixer)
4. Sugary cocktails (high sugar = worse dehydration)
5. Straight whiskey or shots (highest alcohol concentration)
Hangover Recovery: How to Bounce Back Faster
If you wake up feeling rough, try these recovery tips:
✔ Drink Pedialyte or an electrolyte solution
✔ Eat ginger to settle your stomach. (research reference 4)
✔ Take supplement B-vitamins and zinc (reference 6)
✔ Get light exercise (a short walk boosts circulation).
Final Thoughts:
You don’t have to quit alcohol to stay healthy, just drink smarter. By pre-hydrating, choosing better drinks such as lower ABV or clear liquors like gin or vodka, and replenishing electrolytes, you can enjoy social drinking without the brutal dehydration and hangover side effects.
To make smarter choices, check out our Alcohol Calorie Calculator to select drinks that suit your health goals.
Research Reference
1.
Polhuis, K. C. M., Gallé, A., Mensink, R. P., & de Vries, J. H. M. (2017). The diuretic action of weak and strong alcoholic beverages in elderly men: A randomized diet-controlled crossover trial. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 21(8), 943–949. Link
2.
Wijnen, A. H. C., Steennis, J., Catoire, M., Wardenaar, F. C., & Mensink, M. (2016). Post-exercise rehydration: Effect of consumption of beer with varying alcohol content on fluid balance after mild dehydration. Frontiers in Nutrition Link
3.
Verster, J. C., Vermeulen, S. A., van de Loo, A. J. A. E., Balikji, S., Kraneveld, A. D., Garssen, J., & Scholey, A. (2019). Dietary nutrient intake, alcohol metabolism, and hangover severity. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(9), Article 1316. Link
4.
Lete, I., & Allué, J. (2016). The effectiveness of ginger in the prevention of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and chemotherapy. Integrative Medicine Insights, 11, 11–17. Link
Other reference
5.
Johnson, J. (2023). Dehydrating drinks: Caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients. Medical News Today. Retrieved from Link
6.
LeWine, H. E. (2023). 7 ways to cure your hangover. Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from Link