I had been promised great things by hangover cures in the past but always been let down. ‘Hair of the dog’ simply doesn’t work, and Paracetamol seems to barely put a dent in my worst examples of hangovers. So for a long time I had to just grin and bear it until the pain subsides…
But then a couple of years ago, a friend introduced me to a hangover cure that actually works. What was this miracle concoction? A banana and honey sandwich…
Why It Works
I recently found myself in a hungover state once again and realised it was time to see if this magical remedy could work its magic twice. Once again I was not disappointed and I found that each bite helped me to feel a little better.
Perplexed, I decided to look up exactly how this could work to ensure it wasn’t just a placebo. And it turns out that this is far from a placebo. This is the perfect storm as far as hangover cures go, and now I feel it’s my duty to shout it from the rooftops…
To understand why the sandwich works so well, we need to look at each ingredient independently and how it contributes to the overall effect.
Banana
The best thing about bananas for treating a hangover is their high potassium content. This is a substance that is greatly depleted when you drink and that’s one of the big contributing factors to your general illness during a hangover. Bananas can replenish this potassium and thus help to combat some of the symptoms.
Banana is naturally alkaline and thus it can act as a natural antacid and help to settle the stomach. Finally, bananas contain vitamin B6 which can help you to make use of the sugar content to replenish some of your energy.
Honey
Next up comes honey. Honey is once again a very soothing and comforting food when you’re feeling rough thanks to its sweet taste and smooth texture, but the effects go much further than that.
When we drink alcohol, it is broken down by the metabolic process into something called acetaldehyde – a substance toxic to the body. The body then gets rid of this substance by converting it into acetic acid. This process though requires fructose – which happens to be high in honey. In other words then, eating honey can help your body to physically break down the painful and harmful by-product of alcohol metabolisation; and by the feel of it, it seems to speed the process up pretty rapidly.
At the same time honey will give you an immediate spike of blood sugar which will help to replenish some of your energy and hopefully get you back on your feet again. It also contains sodium (salt) which combined with the potassium in bananas will help you to improve your balance of electrolytes to deal with cramping and headaches.
Bread
Finally, bread is another good source of carbs to help get your blood sugar back up so you feel a little more human. As well, bread can also soak up acids in your stomach and fill you up to further help settle your stomach and prevent trips to the bathroom.
Combined, these three substances work miracles and can really help you to start feeling better a lot more quickly. For the best effects combine all this with a cup of tea (despite being a vasoconstrictor, caffeine helps to wake you up and make you feel normal again) and lots of water to help flush your system and prevent dehydration.
Don’t just read this article and forget about it, try it next time you have a hangover. You’ll thank me =)