Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2013

This St. Patrick’s Day—or any weekend night, for that matter— you will probably run into people drinking little orange bottles (and more recently, pink ones) before hitting the izakaya, bars or clubs. These little genki drinks, known as Ukon no Chikara (“the power of turmeric”), claim to reduce the once-thought-unavoidable morning-after hangover. Turmeric, part of the ginger family native to tropical Asia, contains curcumin, which is reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and, some even claim, anti-aging effects on skin.

But what about the important question: can drinking ukon actually help a hangover? Ukon no Chikara maker House Foods conducted a trial research and concluded that if you consume a 100ml drink containing 30mg of curcumin after (that’s right, after) drinking alcohol, a mild effect was observed to improve the ability of alcohol metabolism/excretion functionality. Surprisingly, there was no mention of drinking ukon prior to consuming alcohol. There’s always the placebo effect but hey—if it works, it works.

From ¥180, available at convenience stores and pharmacies