In Korean TV dramas, we often see family members offering a glass of honey water to the guy who is suffering from a hangover in the morning after a night’s drinking.
Yes, honey water works as an effective, natural cure for hangover!
What Happens in a Hangover
A hangover is your body’s reaction to toxicity produced by alcohol consumption. When alcohol breaks down in your liver it produces acetaldehyde which has toxic effects on the body and the dreaded symptom of headache you experience is caused by the liver’s inability to process all of the toxins produced by the drinks you consumed quickly. Women tend to have longer-lasting hangovers than men as they produce less of the enzyme that breaks down the alcohol. Alcohol inhibits the natural stimulant glutamine, causing the body to increase production of glutamine and causing the brain to remain active even after you have already passed out-hence the fatigue you feel the following day. As for the vomiting, it is caused by the over production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
How Honey Works as a Cure for Hangover
The metabolizing process of alcohol takes time, but there are ways to speed it up. Honey is recognized by scientists for its ability to aid the body in metabolizing the alcohol consumed and rapidly relieve you of the pounding headache. The antioxidants in honey neutralize the toxin and convert it into harmless acetic acid, which is then burned off by the body and changed into carbon dioxide. And your lungs expel the carbon dioxide from your body once you exhale. Packed with fructose, honey replenishes the sugars that are lost in the course of alcohol metabolism, preventing the rapid change in alcohol levels and the sudden drop in blood sugar levels that causes the throbbing head in the morning.
“Honey on a cracker or piece of toast, before or after drinking, may prevent a hangover.”
Dr. Merle Diamond, Diamond Headache Clinic, Chicago,
Instructions – How to Make a Hangover Cure Drink with Honey
1. Take 2 to 6 teaspoons of honey in a glass of warm water upon waking and repeat this dose 1-2 times every twenty minutes depending on how severe the hangover is.
2. At breakfast take a few more teaspoons. This helps calm the nasty after effects that the alcohol has on the body and remove any cravings that could return.