Anyone that has suffered from a hangover after a night of drinking too much alcohol understands just how debilitating it can be. From having a raging headache, to not wanting to eat and feeling nauseous, to actually having to vomit, there are so many components that make having a hangover one of the worst things to deal with.
But there may be hope for those that enjoy drinking but don’t want to deal with the repercussions of enjoying ‘one too many’ on the morning after. A recent study that was published in the Journal of Food Science shares that the extract of one particular vegetable that has certain amino acids and minerals can actually help ease the symptoms of an alcohol hangover and moreover, even aid in the protection of the liver cells against harmful toxins.
A research group from the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in South Korea studied the components of young asparagus leaves and shoots, comparing their biochemical effects on both rat and human liver cells. Lead researcher B.Y. Kim explained that “The amino acid and mineral contents were found to be much higher in the leaves than the shoots.”
When there is chronic alcohol use, it causes oxidative stress on a person’s liver, as well as incredible amounts of harmful physical effects that are also linked to having a hangover.
Dr. Kim shares, “Cellular toxicities were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots. These results provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells.”
Meanwhile, in an article on the website HowStuffWorks talks about another informal trial administered by scientists and what they found on asparagus and hangovers. The study found that the volunteers that drank concoctions that had asparagus extract claimed they had less symptoms of a hangover too.
The scientific name of this vegetable is asparagus officinalis, and it’s easily found and eaten all over the world. It has also been widely used in herbal medicines because of its anticancer effects, as well as its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and diuretic properties.So the next time you decide to have a night on the town and end up drinking a little too much, why not steam up a plate of healthy asparagus spears and eat them up to see if they can help alleviate your symptoms? Even if it doesn’t make your hangover go away, eating asparagus has loads of other health benefits such as helping improve digestive health, lowering blood pressure, aid in weight loss, and even prevent UTI.
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