Hangover Cures from Folklore

Hangover Cures from Folklore Apples: Eat apples on an empty stomach the next day. You can also cook down apple skins and drink the juice. B-vitamins: Take extra B-vitamins before going to bed. Banana Milkshake: Blend 1 banana, 2/3 C. cold milk and 2 tablespoons honey until frothy. Drink. Banana soothes the stomach and replaces lost magnesium and potassium; honey builds up depleted sugar levels; milk soothes the stomach and rehydrates the system. Bifidus Powder: Dissolve 1 teaspoon in water and drink before bed. This is a stomach-safe bacteria that detoxifies acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of the fermentation process. Chicken Soup: Not just for the common cold, Mom’s Chicken Soup or Chicken Bullion works wonders for a hangover. Coffee: Add the juice of one lemon to black coffee and drink it without cream or sugar. Another remedy recommends you drink 2 cups of black coffee alone. Coffee is a vasoconstrictor that can reduce the swelling of the blood vessels, thus relieving a headache. Crackers and honey: Crackers absorb the toxins. Potassium in the honey replenishes minerals lost during social drinking. You can also take the honey alone - one to two tablespoons, every 30 minutes after waking. Efamol: Efamol is the commercial term for Evening Primrose Oil. The recommended dose is 2 teaspoons taken with water, and is available in health food stores. Exercise: Exercise the day after will help get rid of toxins. Caution must be taken to rehydrate your system with plenty of water, however. You may want to take a brisk walk, or keep the level of exercise on the lower levels at first, until you are sure that dehydration has been alleviated. Ginger Tea: Ginger Tea is soothing to the stomach. Peppermint Tea: Herbal peppermint relaxes the intestines and removes accumulated gas. Persimmon: Eating one raw persimmon will counteract the effects of a headache. Sauerkraut Juice: Drink straight-up. If you can’t stand the idea of drinking this alone, mix it with tomato juice for a Sauerkraut Cocktail. Scalp Stimulation: Rub your head vigorously or pull clumps of your hair gently, but firmly, to stimulate the scalp. This delivers blood to the scalp and will help reduce the effects of headache. Silymarin: Also known as Milk Thistle, this agent protects the liver by preventing toxins from entering, while also removing existing toxins from the body. Sports Drinks: Drink before bed to replenish the electrolytes lost during social imbibing. Tomato Juice: Drink with the juice of one lemon. Water: Drink 2-3 glasses of water (minimum) before bed. While drinking alcoholic beverages, the pituitary gland in the brain tends to block the production of vasopressin. Without this important chemical, the kidneys begin to function improperly by sending water directly to the bladder, instead of sending the toxins alone to the bladder and reabsorbing the water into the body. Drinkers then need to expel this extra water at a rate four times greater than the liquid they consume, resulting in dehydration.