Nursing A Hangover? This Ice Cream Bar Can Cure You

Heavy drinkers now have a reason to rejoice. This new ice cream bar from South Korea will help get rid of that nasty hangover.

A convenience store chain in South Korea has recently launched the Gyeondyo-bar, which literally translates as "hang in there." According to Reuters, it is said to be the first ice cream bar that can combat the after-effects of alcohol drinking.

The grapefruit-flavored ice cream bar is made of oriental raisin tree fruit, which is known in South Korea as a traditional hangover remedy and is even cited in Korean medicine books as early as the 17^th century.

The Gyeondyo-bar was launched last Friday by the Withme FS convenience store, just in time for the weekend drinking spree. In a press release, Withme FS said that the ice cream bar's name "expresses the hardships of employees who have to suffer a working day after heavy drinking, as well as to provide comfort to whose who have to come to work early after frequent nights of drinking."

Drinking is a big business in South Korea, and so are hangover remedies. The uncanny industry generates about $126 million in annual sales. Hangover cures can be in the form of pills, beverages, and even cosmetic products that make women look fresh even after a night of booze.

There is also what they call the "hangover soup," which is a staple in every Korean restaurant.

Apart from the huge demand locally, South Korea's hangover remedies are also being exported.

Hut-gae Condition, one of the country's most popular locally produced hangover beverages, has also been quite big in China, Japan and Vietnam since it was exported in 2014.

South Koreans are the heaviest drinkers in Asia-Pacific, where the average Korean drinks 12.3 liters of alcohol per year, according to a 2014 World Health Organization report.

According to a study by the South Korean health insurance institute, the social cost of drinking, including lost production, hospitalizations and early deaths, is estimated at 9.45 trillion in 2013.