Is a rich hamburger better for hangovers than soup?

The foods people seek out to soothe a hangover vary from country to country. Americans turn to prairie oysters, a cocktail with raw egg yolk, Poles to pickles, Germans to pickled herring, and Italians to espresso. Koreans prefer soups to ease the hangover after a night of drinking. However, some people also turn to heavy dishes like hamburgers and pizza. But does this actually work?

 

Hangovers are caused by substances produced during the breakdown of alcohol. Acetaldehyde is a prime example. Acetaldehyde is a carcinogen created when the liver's alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) breaks down alcohol. It stimulates the vagus and sympathetic nerves, causing vomiting, dizziness, and increased heart rate and breathing. The vagus nerve is closely related to movement, perception, and internal organ function, while the sympathetic nerve automatically regulates the internal environment when the body is stimulated by external stimuli. Therefore, to overcome a hangover, it is necessary to quickly eliminate any remaining acetaldehyde from the body.

 

Hamburgers also contain ingredients that help relieve hangovers. First, tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which helps facilitate alcohol metabolism and eliminate acetaldehyde. Furthermore, rich cheeses contain methionine, a precursor to glutathione, which protects the liver by eliminating free radicals produced by alcohol. Eating hamburgers is especially beneficial for hangover relief, as the process of promoting metabolism also helps eliminate acetaldehyde.

 

However, hamburgers also have some disadvantages when it comes to hangover relief. First, fatty foods take longer to digest. This requires a greater amount of stomach acid, which depletes the liver of water. High-fat foods may initially provide a feeling of fullness and sobering, but in the long run, they can increase the burden on the liver and delay hangover relief.

 

In this respect, soups can be considered beneficial for hangover relief. They contain a large amount of water, essential for acetaldehyde excretion, and their primary energy source is carbohydrates, quickly alleviating hypoglycemia, a common cause of hangovers. The main ingredient, bean sprouts, contain aspartic acid, which aids the liver's detoxification function. Hwangtae is rich in methionine, found in cheese, and lysine, which protects the liver.

 

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Soup to cure a hangover

I like all kinds of hangover soups, like Seonji Haejangguk.

My uncle eats pizza and hamburgers.

 

Of course, a hamburger also helps with a hangover.

It does contain the ingredients.