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.)

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

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.

After what Mary refers to as the "The Night of a Million Margaritas," she was all too eager to give Pedialyte a go the next morning.

"I had to wake up at the crack of dawn (OK, 8 a.m. but that feels extremely early when you go to bed at 2 a.m.) to clean my apartment and prepare brunch for some out-of-town visitors," she says. "I woke up with a headache, but for the purposes of this experiment, I decided to forgo Ibuprofen, and I chugged some Pedialyte instead.

Her conclusion: "I was really impressed. I'm normally a Gatorade girl, but I found Pedialyte to work much better. It tasted less sugary (read: easier on the tummy), and still seemed to help hydrate me. Even though I still felt tired, within an hour my headache faded, and I was able to function well enough to speedily clean my apartment, hit the grocery store, help cook breakfast and power through the rest of the day."

Grade: 9/10