Hangover
The effects of overconsumption of alcohol—headache, dullness, inability to focus the mind clearly, nausea, dizziness, and so on—are all symptoms of excess pitta. Drinking too much alcohol may become toxic to the stomach and liver, which triggers pitta and can eventually lead to serious illness.
The following recommendations will help you get over the effects of drinking too much alcohol the night before and will help restore normal functioning.
- Drink a glass of water with about 1 teaspoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt added. Just before drinking, add ½ teaspoon baking soda. This will immediately take care of pitta aggravation, and you will feel much better.
- A glass of fresh orange juice with 1 teaspoon lime juice and a pinch of cumin powder can help with both alcohol and drug-induced hangover.
- If you are feeling drowsy and dull, with an aching head, a burning stomach and no appetite, try a cup of cool lassi. Blend 1 tablespoon of fresh yogurt with 1 cup of water and a pinch of cumin powder. Drink this 3 or 4 times in the day. It will be effective to prevent dehydration, relieve nausea, and soothe the burning in your stomach.
- You can also use this herbal formula:
shatavari 5 parts
shanka bhasma ⅛ part
kama dudha ⅛ part
jatamamsi 3 parts
Take ½ teaspoon of this mixture 2 or 3 times in a day. Put it on your tongue, and wash down with warm water.
- Most of the time, drinking coconut water (the natural liquid inside the coconut) is beneficial for hangover.
- Doing nasya with bhringaraj oil or brahmi ghee may also be effective. (Instructions for preparing medicated oils and ghee are in appendix 2. To buy them already prepared, see Resources. Guidelines for nasya appear in appendix 3.)
- The herbal compound tikta is an effective antidote for alcohol toxicity. If you take ½ teaspoon of the powder 3 times during the day that you need it, washed down with warm water, it should take care of the hangover. If you cannot locate tikta, you may substitute aloe vera, myrrh, or sudharshan.