Gensing, Tiger Balm and Wheatgrass. Asian 'Aspirin' for hangovers.
Asians have long believed in cures from consuming natural roots, herbs and/or plants. And their remedies for naturally getting rid of that pounding-head-the-morning-after basically fall into three main categories:
GINSENG
Curing hangovers naturally with a dose of ginseng is basically the Asian alternative to a cup of coffee. Caffeine is a diuretic, so it's going to make your dehydration from binge drinking alcohol even worse. Read more about that here. But asian theory says that if you cut out the caffeine, take ginseng and drink a lot of water, you should start regaining your energy faster.
Ginseng is a root that grows in the cooler regions of Asia, such as China and Korea, and is not regarded as a diuretic, so it may give you energy without dehydrating you. However, that's just one factor in what a hangover really is. And on the downside, ginseng has been known to cause nausea, headaches and high blood pressure, which can be really bad in combination with a hangover.
TIGER BALM
Tiger Balm is another Asian remedy. Tiger Balm is a blend of clove oil, cajuput oil, menthol and camphor. It is said to promote blood flow and supposedly works as a painkiller, however there isn't enough scientific or medical evidence to really claim this as being valid.
Using tiger balm as a hangover remedy has one big difference over most all of the other crazy options, you don't have to ingest it on a sick stomach. A person is actually supposed to dab tiger balm on their temples and the back of their neck. Don't get it in your eyes, though. You'll think having just the hangover would be a pleasure.
WHEATGRASS
Wheatgrass is believed in Asian culture to be a body purifier. It supposedly acts in cleaning the bloodstream and the water within a person's body. Wheatgrass does have some great beneficial qualities known in the medical and science world as it is provides antioxidants and enzymes to help your body. These have been studied and know to promote some forms of healing and maintaining pH balance.
So theoretically, wheatgrass detoxifies the human body. And, as a bonus, it even deodorizes the body. Drinking a specific amount of wheatgrass to actually help a hangover is unknown.
Medical experts agree that there is no strictly "safe" level of alcohol consumption. Find out more facts about alcohol use and heath here.
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Other hangover 'remedies'.
Here's a list of home remedies we've found that supposedly taking care of that massive, pounding hangover. Some are from bartentders, some are just folklore. Some are even billed as natural ways to take care of 'the dog that bit 'ya'. Just remember, only time and water are what most doctors and scientists believe in. That, and the fact that prevention is often the best form of medicine.
They may not be scientifically sound. They may not even be remotely effective. But ask around and these top five hangover 'cures' seem to be the most popular around.
If you think the person who makes their living getting people to drink each night has more of an insight on hangovers than any doctor, then this list of top remedies from bartenders is for you.
Maybe it's because they came from our Moms. Maybe it's because these so-called cures are all natural foods. Either way, people believe this list work wonders on a hangover.
The opinions of a bazillion people can't be wrong, right? Here's a list of hangover cures from all around the world. But beware, some of them might be worse than what got you there.
