In 2019, German researchers discovered a herbal and mineral remedy that can relieve hangover symptoms.
- Alcohol abuse causes symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
- German researchers have developed a cocktail of plants and minerals that alleviate the “hangover”.
Headache, nausea, numbness, weakness, these are the symptoms of veisalgia, commonly known as a hangover. Everyone has their own tips the day after a drunken evening to try to relieve the harmful effects of alcohol.
The internet is full of miracle solutions and grandmother’s remedies, but there is no scientific data to prove their effectiveness and their merits are questionable. However, German researchers have discovered a herbal blend that can most definitely alleviate hangover symptoms. The result of their research was published in 2020 in the journal Nutrition.
Prickly pear, ginger… natural anti-hangover cocktail
The researchers looked at prickly pear, ginkgo biloba, willow, acerola and ginger. They combined them with vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, bicarbonate and folic acid. They then tested the effectiveness of this mixture on 214 healthy people aged 18 to 65.
The researchers formed three groups: a first group took the “recipe” 45 minutes before drinking alcohol (beer, white wine or white wine cocktail) then immediately afterwards. A second group took a soluble mineral-only supplement, and finally, a third group ingested a placebo.
Plant extracts play a real role
The researchers wanted to measure the effectiveness of plants associated with minerals. The results showed that while the amount of alcohol consumed was about the same in the three groups (0.62 ml/minute), the intensity of the symptoms varied according to the supplement taken.
Compared to the placebo group, the group that took the herbal and mineral supplement experienced a 34% reduction in headaches and 42% reduction in nausea. Taking the minerals alone made no difference, suggesting that plant extracts are playing a role. More research is still needed, but these results confirm that certain compounds found in plants have the power to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol.
An update on alcohol consumption in France
On average, 10% of French people drink alcohol every day, but this trend varies by region. A report from Public Health France published in 2020 shows that regular alcohol consumption is more frequent in Occitania (12.6% of inhabitants aged 18 to 75 drank alcohol daily in 2017), in New Aquitaine (12.3%) and in Hauts-de-France (11.5%).
The report notes that daily alcohol consumption was “significantly less frequent in Ile-de-France (7.1%), in Normandy (7.9%) and in the Pays de la Loire (8.1%)”.
Warning : Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health.
