Admit it, at one point or another we have all googled ‘is it possible to die from a hangover’. My own personal hangover cure is to stay in my bed all day, feeling sorry for myself, binge-watching TV shows and texting members of my family to see if they’ll bring me something. Apparently there is not a universally acknowledged cure though (shocker) and countries all over the world have their own ideas about what you should do while swearing to yourself that you’ll never drink again.

Turkey

Tripe soup - made of cow’s stomach, boiled with garlic, onion and cream - is a favorite among those in turkey. Eat guts to calm your gut - although I bet the thought of it alone would make me feel more sick.

Does It Work?

When you have a hangover, you just want warm comfort food so I guess this could help. Plus tripe is famously cheap so it’s student-friendly as well as hangover-friendly.

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USA

The Bloody Mary seems to be as close to a universally known hangover cure we'll get; which is a bit weird considering it contains alcohol. Although you know what they say about the hair of the dog. A Bloody Mary is made by mixing vodka and tomato juice and adding a splash of Worcester sauce, tabasco, salt and pepper and then garnishing with a celery stick.

Does It Work?

The tomato juice contains lots of vitamin C and fructose (basically natural sugar) which will boost your energy and make you feel better. As for the vodka, I think that just delays the hangover rather than curing it.

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Namibia

In Namibia, they go with a drink that is absolutely nothing like it sounds. The buffalo milk is made of cream, clotted cream, two types of rum and various crème liqueurs. And all the cream is made from cow's milk so I don’t know where the name came from.

Does It Work?

The cream will work to line your stomach but all that extra alcohol will probably make you feel worse. This would be a good drink to have before you go out though because it will act as pre-drinks and line your stomach at the same time.

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Canada

They’ve got the right idea! Their hangover cure favourite - poutine - is a dish made by topping fries with chunks of cheese curd and then gravy.

Does it work?

The fat and carbs will certainly soak up some of the alcohol!

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Ireland

Apparently, if you have a hangover in Ireland, the best way to cure it is to go and bury yourself in cold, wet river sand. I know, I couldn’t believe it when I read it either.

Does It Work?

I’m going to guess not. In fact, I think this must’ve been a wind up that someone pulled on their poor hungover friend. Bearing in mind that the rivers in Ireland are very cold, this would just make you want to crawl back into bed.

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Scotland

Most of the food-based hangover cures are either carbs and fat or something so weird that you have to wonder how anyone discovered that it was a cure in the first place. During all my research, I’ve not come across anyone saying ‘eat a salad, it’ll make you feel better’. Scotland’s cure combines fat and sugar in a sausage that is made using Irn-Bru instead of water.

Does It Work?

The salt will help your liver to recover and the sugar will give you energy but the fat clings to the stomach and lines it so that would be more helpful to have before you go out.

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Puerto Rico

Another one which I assume was somebody pulling a prank on their (possibly smelly) friend. Rumor has it that if you rub a lemon wedge under your armpit before going out then you won’t get a hangover.

Does It Work?

If anyone has ever found this to work then I’d love to hear from you. But until then, I’m going to have to say absolutely not.

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New Zealand

A savory pie and a glass of chocolate milk is how they do it down under. And seeing as a milkshake is already one of my personal hangover cures, this might be one that I’ll actually try.

Does It Work?

The protein in the milk breaks down into amino acids which help to detoxify your body and get the alcohol out of your system. The salt in the pie will help your liver and the sugar in the chocolate will also make you feel better.

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Italy

Seeing as how a lot of foods that are actually known to cure your hangover originate in Italy (pizza, ice cream, pasta), I was surprised to see that their cure of choice looks more like a dog chew than something you would consider eating yourself. 3 words: Dried. Bull. Penis.

Does It Work?

High in protein, vitamins and minerals this should actually work. If you’re looking at it scientifically that is. But I think that just the idea of it would be enough to turn your stomach.

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England

England might not top the charts for the best weather but when it comes to hangover cures, we’re up there with the best. The famous English breakfast is made up of bacon, sausage, egg, toast, beans and often things like hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding. If you ever need to know where in the world you are, just go into a café and order a breakfast. In England, the eggs will always be sunny side up, whereas in the US and most other places, they’ll be scrambled.

Does It Work?

It has plenty of protein, salt and fat to help your liver and carbs to soak up the alcohol. This is a cure that science AND your stomach will agree with.

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