Chase away hangover blues with TCM

Feeling you had a little too much to drink? In TCM, overconsumption of alcohol causes an excess of heat in the body and damage to certain organs, resulting in symptoms such as headaches and nausea.

To prevent or relieve a hangover, TCM remedies generally act to reduce and clear the excess heat in the body. Here are some simple remedies that a TCM physician may recommend.

1. Mung Bean & Licorice Root

Mung Bean(Green Bean) and Licorice Root(Gancao, 甘草) can help remove heat and toxins from the body. Mung Bean also encourages diuresis, or increased urine discharge.

Instructions: Cook mung bean (50g) with licorice root (10g). Add some brown sugar to taste.

2. Vinegar Drink

This drink can help neutralise the alcohol in the body and allow one to sober up faster.

Instructions: Mix cooking vinegar (40–50ml) with white sugar (10g). Add water to taste.

3. Fruit Remedies

Try any of these tasty remedies to help detoxify the body.

• Grind dried orange skin (30g), add a pinch of salt and mix with drinking water (250ml). Consume when ready.

• Add unprocessed or fresh olive (60g), dark plum (10g) and sugar (to taste) into water (250ml) and boil together. Consume when ready.

• Add some honey and lemon juice (to taste) into hot green tea and consume accordingly.

Note: The following fruits and vegetables also have detoxifying functions: celery, lotus, white radish, sugarcane, water melon and pear. One can also turn one or two of the above into juice to consume after drinking alcohol.

IMPORTANT:
Each individual has differing conditions and body constitutions which require individualised treatment and prescription. Thus it is advisable that one always consults a physician when not feeling well and in no circumstances should one self-administer any of the abovementioned herbs.