There are some classical mentions of foods which prevent or treat drunkenness & hangovers in Chinese medical literature...
Watermelon - Eating watermellon (flesh and/or also skin) whilst
having a few beers might be a novel concept, but by trading your nuts for
watermelon you can have a much better chance of waking up feeling less
hungover. (Watermelon promotes urination and helps excrete the toxins of alcohol faster) In western medicine there is even more research on watermelon, click here for more.
Bananas - As mentioned in the Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (1765 A.D.), Bananas act on the digestion of the Large Intestine. Essentially, they have a detoxifying effect. They help the Large Intestine, and promote the excretion of toxins. While it's great to urninate alot after drinking to "get all the toxins out", this also will deplete potassium and salts in the body. 100g of banana has about 358mg of potassium. Even before the science of hangovers was known, TCM was using bananas for condtions we now know are caused by dehydration and intoxication. Some people are more effected by different kinds of alcohol. It's not just about the dehydrative effects of being "intoxicated". Why do some people wake up feeling seedy after even just 2 beers the night before?
Beer and grain-based alcohols cause more dampness - nausea, cloudy headed, heaviness, bloating.(More about dampness can be found in this awesome article. The over-working of the Spleen and Stomach results in depleting the Spleen Qi and can lead to poor digestion, bloating and diarrhoea.
Spirits are much more warming and "hot" in nature than beers and wine. The more heat in your system the more strong the odour of the bowels, sweat and breath will be.
Toxic heat can cause things like skin to flare up - that's why you can find an acne break out after a big night out! If you already have skin conditions or acne, then heating foods and alchool should be avoided. People with acne should at the very least stay away from spirits.
One of our herbal teas is made especially for clearing stagnation and toxic heat - HANGOVER TEA. It's based on a traditional chinese herbal formula Bao He Wan. This tea should be drunk in the morning upon waking. Hot water can be added to the herbs to make more tea over and over again, each time it will be a little less strong. You need the strongest effects first thing, then as the day goes on the herbs will still continue to expel heat and toxins, stimulating digestion and elimination.
More info about our Hangover Tea can be found here.
