B4U Drink NoHang capsules
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:a blend of Chinese giant hyssop,
beefsteak plant and taurine
DIRECTIONS:Take two capsules with water before you start drinking.
EFFECT:The capsules smelled like something out of my Chinese grand-
mother’s medicine cabinet. About an hour after I took the pills, I
started to feel loopy. I was so preoccupied by the feeling of my heart
about to leap out of my chest that I didn’t feel how drunk I was.
VERDICT:Did they prevent a hangover the next day? No.The Hangover Secret: Rosé all day. Next day OK.
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:vitamins plus a blend of milk thistle seed ex-
tract, stevia and Citrus Bioflavonoid Peel Powder Complex
DIRECTIONS: Pour the contents of the packet into water and drink
before you go to bed after drinking.
EFFECT: The pale yellow powder makes a drink the color of hot Cheetos
that tastes like fruit punch and smells like the pineapple tiki cocktail
that started this mess. It does not go down easy but tastes better (by
“better” I mean you can swallow it) if the water is cold.
VERDICT: The hangover monster was still creeping around my head at
my 10:30 a.m. meeting. Apparently the name of the product is accu-
rate — the next day will be OK, but not better for having drunk the
gross fruit punch-flavored drink.Blowfish effervescent tablets
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:aspirin and caffeine
DIRECTIONS: Drop two tablets in water and
drink the morning after you drink.
EFFECT: This is your average effervescent tablet with some caffeine
and aspirin in the mix. It tasted like a watered-down lemon lime
soda with a little salt sprinkled in. The bubbles are good if you’re
nauseated, and it dulls the pain of a headache. But like the others,
it won’t completely erase the hangover.
VERDICT: Worthwhile but not magical. I’m looking for magic here.Bytox patch
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE: acai berry, vitamins
A, B12, B2, B3, B5 and B6, and green tea extract
DIRECTIONS: Apply to a dry, hairless area before you start drinking.
Keep the patch on for eight hours after you stop.
EFFECT: The patch is about the size of a small Post-it note. I had a little
less energy than with the Rebound patch but I found my hangover
symptoms (headache, nausea) to be minimal.
VERDICT: The lesser of the two patches but effective.Do hangover remedies work?
Even though you may feel like
you’re dying after a night of heavy drinking, the medi-
cal community has never clearly defined the concept of
a hangover.¶You know what a hangover is. It follows
a long night out, and may prompt questions such as:
Why am I so sweaty? Where did that bruise come
from? Whose number is on my forearm?¶“They are
commonly identified as a general collection of symp-
toms many people develop when over-drinking, includ-
ing headache, nausea, upset stomach, irritability and
anxiety,” said Dr. Maya S. Benitez, a family medicine
physician with Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Culver
City. “Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and in-
creased inflammation could all potentially cause these
symptoms.”¶And because science hasn’t clearlydefined what a hangover is, Benitez said, there isn’t
a specific treatment for one.¶“The best cure —
and the only one I know for sure — is to generally
avoid over-drinking altogether,” Benitez said.
“The best treatment is to treat the common
symptoms.ӦThe doctor suggested hydration,
some form of ginger, vitamin B6, antacids for upset
stomach and ibuprofen for a headache. ¶If you don’t
heed that advice and instead accept that third mar-
tini, there are dozens of hangover remedies that prom-
ise to erase your previous evening’s transgressions.
¶In the name of science, I put five readily available
cures to the test, dosing myself with three alcoholic
beverages to see how the remedies helped with the
morning after.BYJENNHARRIS>>>Illustrations by
Lillian Xie
For The TimesRebound patch
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:dihydromyricetin, acai berry,
ashwaganda, ginger root, grape seed and turmeric
DIRECTIONS: Slap the patch onto an area with little
or no hair before you start drinking.
EFFECT: The patch is about the size of a Scrabble tile. When I woke up
the next morning, I experienced no headache or nausea — and I was
able to complete an hourlong workout.
VERDICT: By far the most effective of the bunch. I’m not saying that I’m
going to buy a bunch and keep them in my purse, but I’m not saying
that I’m not.F8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 LATIMES.COM/FOOD