What’s the Best Hangover Remedy?
By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), Naturopathic Doctor
As we’re coming up to the festive season and the libations flow, I thought it an opportune time to pass on this little hangover remedy tidbit. I know that you personally would never overindulge but perhaps you could pass this on to your husband, brother, aunt who tends to overdo it during the holidays. 😉
A study found that asparagus is a great food for helping to cope with hangovers. We don’t generally think of vegetables as herbs, but Asparagus officinalis is an herb that is used in the treatment of several conditions. One 2016 study, found obvious anti-tumor effects of one compound in asparagus (asparinin A) and another found that components of asparagus combat liver fibrosis.
The part of the plant that we usually consume is the young shoot, but the leaves of the asparagus plant can be eaten as well and are much higher in amino acids and inorganic minerals. A 2009 study found that the two key enzymes that increase the breakdown of alcohol are more than doubled after ingestion of an extract of asparagus shoots and leaves. That means that asparagus can be a safe, effective means of treating alcohol hangover and protecting the liver from other toxins too.
Post holiday party you should also drink lots of water to rehydrate and get your blood sugar stabilized by eating lots of veggies, including asparagus, good protein and healthy fats.
Sources:
Li XM, Cai JL, Wang L, Wang WX, Ai HL, Mao ZC. Two new phenolic compounds and antitumor activities of asparinin A from Asparagus officinalis. J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2016 Sep 13:1-8.
Zhong C, Jiang C, Xia X, Mu T, Wei L, Lou Y, Zhang X, Zhao Y, Bi X. Antihepatic Fibrosis Effect of Active Components Isolated from Green Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) Involves the Inactivation of Hepatic Stellate Cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Jul 8;63(26):6027-34. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b01490. Epub 2015 Jun 19.
Kim BY, Cui ZG, Lee SR, Kim SJ, Kang HK, Lee YK, Park DB. Effects of Asparagus officinalis extracts on liver cell toxicity and ethanol metabolism. J Food Sci. 2009 Sep;74(7):H204-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01263.x.