This French Hangover Cure May Surprise You

Searching the internet for an effective hangover cure might sound pretty relatable to anyone who has ever experienced a less-than-pleasurable morning after having a big night out. A quick search on the web reveals there are a lot of recommendations out there when it comes to consumables that may help ease some of that day-after ickiness. Foods like nuts and sweet potatoes have been suggested to help replenish nutrients, while drinks like coconut water and Gatorade have been said to help with hydration (via Healthline).

When it comes to acquiring hangovers, champagne, in particular, has been known to cause particularly brutal ones. As a pharmacology professor at the University of Colorado, Boris Tabakoff, explained to ABC News, "The carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages like champagne helps absorb the alcohol" so drinking carbonated alcoholic beverages results in "a faster rate of absorption" and "higher blood alcohol levels." The place that official Champagne comes from, as bubbly lovers well know, is the Champagne region of France (via Champagne), and it turns out this country conveniently has a secret weapon when it comes to combatting hangovers.

You might be familiar with the hot, cheesy goodness that is French onion soup, but have you ever eaten it to prevent a hangover? Not only is French onion soup served at weddings in the country of its namesake "with the questionable goal of lining the stomach after all that champagne," as Salon puts it, but some couples are even awoken from slumber on their wedding night just to eat the soup! Apparently, waking up a bride and groom in the wee hours of the morning to eat French onion soup is a long-standing French tradition because "[l]egend says eating onion soup after imbibing alcohol prevents a hangover" (via Chicago Tribune). But, will it actually cure a hangover?

A look at the ingredients in a French onion soup recipe may provide some clues to how it acquired its hangover-healing reputation. The onions in the soup contain an amino acid that can help the liver discard toxins, according to The Atlantic, while the salt can help with those lost electrolytes (via Healthline). As for that yummy Gruyère cheese, according to Spoon University, the health benefits of cheese include providing proteins, enzymes, and calcium as well as coating the stomach to help relieve nausea. Though French onion soup might not exactly be a miracle cure, we'd certainly be open to having a bowl or two just to test it out.