Asparagus may ease New Year's hangover
By: Nikki Henderson
Updated: December 31, 2012
Asparagus could help relieve your hangover symptoms if you had a little too much bubbly on New Year's Eve.
In 2009, researchers in South Korea published a paper saying that eating asparagus before drinking prevents those horrible hangover feelings.
Leslie Bonci, with the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine in Pittsburgh said there is some truth to it but bingeing on asparagus the night before drinking won't help your headache the next day.
Although the amino acids in asparagus can improve how quickly human cells break down alcohol, preventing some long term damage from toxic byproducts of alcohol such as hydrogen peroxide.
Russians and Eastern Europeans believe that a swig of pickle juice makes them feel better after a night of heavy drinking.
Bonci said the pickle juice acts like a sports drink, restoring the electrolytes that the dehydrating alcohol has depleted. Much of the pain of a hangover occurs because the body's dehydrated of water and nutrients.
Some people turn to a cactus to help them cope with hangovers.
Dr. Rachel Vreeman, co-author of "Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies about Your Body and Health" said one study found that the extract from a cactus improved individual symptoms like dry mouth and nausea if it was taken prior to drinking.
The extract from the cactus works because it helps regulate inflammation. Alcohol changes the amount of inflammatory chemicals, prostaglandins and cytokines, in the body and this imbalance might cause hangovers.
Some health experts believe that taking calcium, magnesium and a complete B supplement along with drinking lots of water also helps with hangover symptoms.
Meanwhile, Dr. Glen Aukerman, director of the Ohio State University Center for Integrated Medicine said the best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink at all.
If you do decide to drink this New Year's Eve make sure you are responsible and don't drive.
