Hangover Cure No. 4: Mercy, We Tried 10 Weird Hangover Cures. Here's What Happened

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With a logo featuring a big-busted angel, Mercy is clearly a drink (and claimed hangover cure) aimed at college-age, Red Bull-guzzling YOLOs. Lest this fizzy, orange-flavored beverage appear to be all sugar and no substance, a recent independent study indicates that 73 percent of subjects experienced an improvement in the physical symptoms (nausea, headache, dizziness, etc.) of a hangover and a 122 percent improvement in certain cognitive symptoms (reaction time and information-processing speed).

Pace is optimistic about Mercy's potential. "It contains a lot of vitamin B," she explains. "Pairing different forms of vitamin B together helps your body produce more of the detoxifying agent glutathione. When you have a shortage of this, you often get headaches and irritability." Pace also notes the presence of chamomile extract, which soothes an upset stomach -- which some of us desperately need in our hangover remedy. "What is most effective in these drinks is the vitamins, so another option could be to just take a multivitamin before you go out drinking." Bah! Too easy.

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Given my perception of Mercy as the Official Drink of Frat Boys™, I'm surprised to learn that my classy coworker Dawn had been hoarding Mercy in her fridge. She calls upon the Angel of Mercy after a bachelorette party that involved a series of "fancy cocktails."

Obstacle No. 1 to Hangover Cure: Mercy's directions indicate that you must drink it after imbibing, but before you go to sleep, "which means the first challenge is actually remembering to drink it," Dawn explains. "But I did -- well, I drank half of it."

Obstacle No. 2 to Hangover Cure: "I didn't love the citrus flavor. It reminded me of Red Bull." (Ah ha!)

"The next morning, I was hungover -- but not very," she insists. "It's hard to know how much worse I would have felt if I hadn't had the Mercy, but I do think it made a small difference."

Grade: 7/10

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Hangover Cure No. 5: Pürblack

An Ayurvedic treatment for ailments ranging from skin wounds to anxiety, shilajit resin -- mineral pitch that resembles charcoal in color and odor -- is the subject of our next hangover cure experiment. It's the active ingredient in Pürblack, which its manufacturers claim "naturally assists your body in reaching its maximum genetic potential" (whatever that means). Pürblack's website links to studies that find the resin effective in treating conditions like peptic ulcers and inflammation, but its materials are vague on the subject of Pürblack's ability to alleviate hangover symptoms.

Pace claims that shilajit is effective in "detoxifying" the body post-alcohol. "As I said previously, properly hydrating and taking multivitamins are just as effective," she says tactfully. (Yeah, yeah, yeah.)

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Pürblack: The Sober Truth

After one too many dances with Maker's Mark the night before, former editor Heidi arrives to the office feeling less than her typical bubbly self -- and in need of a hangover cure to get through the day. Pürblack's directions recommend mixing a pea-size amount of the tarlike substance into a beverage. First, Heidi experiments with stirring it into a cup of water:

Heidi: [Gingerly sips drink, then wrinkles nose.] "It's not so bad." [Sips and wrinkles nose again.] "Yeah. It's not so bad."

Mixing it into Coke Zero yields slightly more delicious results. "I can't even taste it," she proclaims. After finishing the hangover cure concoction, she has "a distinct taste of charcoal in [her] mouth. Very Weber Smokey Joe." Two hours later, Heidi still feels the (heart)burn, headache and stomach upset. "[I'm] no better, really," she says. A Carl's Jr. burger makes her churning stomach feel "a little better," but her head is "still blah."

"I was also burping charcoal for a bit, but I think it's because I drank the soda so fast," she muses. Pürblack: 0. Maker's Mark: 1.

Grade: 2/10

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Hangover Cure No. 6: Pedialyte

If it's made for children then it's probably good? We're not sure if that's 100 percent true, but Pedialyte is the trusted beverage for rehydrating sick little tots, and we're curious to see how it is for us "adults" (we're still fighting that title).

"Pedialyte helps to rehydrate the body due to its salt and sugar content, both of which allow the body to absorb water more effectively," says Alexandra Miller, RDN, LDN, corporate dietitian at Medifast. "However, there is a lack of proof as to whether Pedialyte works better than drinking plain water and consuming nutrient-rich foods that naturally provide electrolytes." That goes for little kids who can't keep anything down and big kids who put way too many down the night before.

Still, with a bottle of tequila and Pedialyte at the ready, managing editor Mary gave the famous hangover cure a try.

We Tried 10 Weird Hangover Cures. Here's What Happened

We tested the weirdest hangover cures to see what works -- and which hangover remedies will make you more miserable

Hangover Cure No. 4: Mercy

Mercy: The Sober Truth

Hangover Cure No. 5: Pürblack

Pürblack: The Sober Truth

Hangover Cure No. 6: Pedialyte

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