Based on the information provided, fasting is a terrible approach to a hangover recovery.
Trying to fast after a night of drinking can actually worsen your hangover symptoms instead of helping you feel better.
Why Fasting Makes a Hangover Worse
According to the provided information, here's why skipping meals isn't recommended when you're trying to recover from a hangover:
- Alcohol and Fatty Acids: Alcohol remains in the body partly by interacting with short-chain fatty acids.
- Fasting Induces Ketosis: When you fast, your body enters a state called ketosis. In ketosis, the body starts burning pre-stored fat for energy.
- Ketosis Interferes: Entering ketosis while dealing with alcohol remnants (short-chain fatty acids) can negatively impact your body's recovery process.
Essentially, the metabolic state of burning fat for fuel (ketosis) created by fasting seems to interfere with how your body processes the lingering effects of alcohol, making the hangover worse.
Therefore, while it might seem like a way to "detox" or rest your system, fasting after drinking is counterproductive for hangover recovery according to this perspective.