Have a little too much to drink last night? You aren’t alone. “How to cure a hangover” is one of the most Googled phrases of 2012. Recently, some smart product developers have stepped in and created products to meet that demand. Since this past New Years, the market has been flooded with products that are said to either cure or prevent a hangover.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? What is “Blowfish”?

Blowfish tablets combine aspirin, caffeine and an antacid into an Alka-Seltzer-like effervescent tablet. A two-tablet dose of Blowfish (which is what the makers recommend for a typical hangover) contains 1,000 milligrams of aspirin and 120 milligrams of caffeine, which are equivalent of two extra strength aspirin and three shots of espresso. Blowfish was developed to fight the most common symptoms of a hangover: headache, fatigue, and upset stomach. Many hangover cure seekers wish to get these cures delivered to the office or other places where discretion is important. Responding to this demand, Blowfish Tablets are packaged in plain manila envelopes.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? How does it work?

Caffeine, aspirin, and antacids have longed been used to treat hangovers. Caffeine has been clinically shown to react against the chemical compounds of ethanol. Alcohol consumption causes a buildup of acetate, which is what produces a headache the next morning. Caffeine has been shown to reduce the amount of acetate in the system. Caffeine can also fight the fatigue that generally accompanies hangovers.

Aspirin is also a common hangover cure. Alcohol is thought to trigger an inflammatory response – a process blocked by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin. The inflammatory response is similar to the body’s defense against flu, and is linked to lethargy.

The chemicals produced by the body to break alcohol down are hard on the stomach. This often causes nausea or sour stomach the morning after. An antacid can help mitigate these effects.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? Is it effective?

Certainly the combination of aspirin, caffeine and an antacid can help the symptoms of a hangover, but the only real cure for a hangover is time. It’s unclear whether Blowfish, which contains acetylsalicylic acid and citric acid — both of which could diminish some of its stomach-soothing effects — is better than the age-old hangover remedy: aspirin and a cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, science has yet to come up with an “ultimate hangover cure.” The best they can do is to provide some relief by treating the symptoms. There is some action you can take however, to prevent a hangover. These include drinking a lot of water (a full glass for every alcoholic drink). Also, eating a meal before a night of drinking has been shown effective. The food slows the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. Finally, you can prevent a hangover by simply not drinking as quickly-no more than one drink an hour. This gives your body the time it needs to fully process the alcohol and prevents the build-up of alcohol metabolites that are responsible for a hangover.

Sources:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/8782/blowfish-hangover-buyer-beware

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/12/06/blowfish-for-hangovers-cure-or-red-herring/

http://forhangovers.com/pages/believe

Tweet