Does this food really help with a hangover? (You might already have it at home!)

Knowing how incredibly awful it is to have a hangover, you’d think we would collectively leave wine, beer and spirits well alone. But because that isn’t an option for many people, we continue our desperate search for hangover cures…

And sometimes, during this quest to combat the symptoms, you come across something that’s actually healthy too. Although sometimes nothing beats a greasy, salty bite the morning after you’ve looked too deeply into the glass, and personally I think it’s absolutely wonderful when an expert makes me a bowl of steaming hot ramen when I have a hangover, this might also be a good one to try:

Good old (sour) cabbage

Sauerkraut! Good old sauerkraut, fermented and all, which you probably ate before you knew that eating fermented foods would become super trendy. And why would it help with a hangover? As most experts by experience know, when you have a hangover your body is primarily in need of replenishing fluids and nutrients.

Everything is allowed

Besides drinking water (and, okay, a sports drink might be acceptable once in a while for an electrolyte boost), eating sauerkraut can help your gut flora recover a little from the shock of alcohol. Sauerkraut is credited with many health benefits because of the beneficial microorganisms created through fermentation.

Another excuse for the biggest sandwich

So if you don’t feel like trying yet another new hangover remedy and you still have sauerkraut at home, you can certainly give this a try. It won’t do any harm (as long as the smell of sauerkraut doesn’t send you running to the bathroom anyway when you have a hangover). Tip: definitely try this without a hangover too: a pastrami sandwich with sauerkraut and cheese, like the famous Reuben sandwich—it certainly makes me feel better!

Also read:

• I went to a restaurant where EVERYTHING is fermented, and this is what I thought
• These are the best hangover remedies from around the world
• Would this pill really do what it promises and prevent a hangover?