Insights & Discussion
Korean pear juice can alleviate symptoms of alcohol hangover and aid in alcohol detoxification, with effectiveness influenced by certain genetic variations.
Methodology: A randomized single-blind crossover trial was conducted involving 14 healthy young men to explore the effects of Korean pear juice on alcohol hangover. Half-an-hour after ingesting either placebo or Korean pear juice treatment, subjects consumed 540 ml of spirits with 20.1% alcohol volume. Subsequently, blood and urine samples were collected at nine different time points in the next 15 hours.
Discussion of Results: Results revealed that Korean pear juice reduced overall and average hangover severity by 16% and 21% respectively, 15 hours post alcohol consumption. Specific improvements were noticed in 'trouble concentrating'. Moreover, it significantly enhanced memory and reduced sensitivity to light and sound in subjects possessing ALDH2*1/*1 or ALDH2*1/*2 genotypes, but not in those with ALDH2*2/*2 genotype. The treatment also resulted in decreased blood alcohol levels, suggesting that Korean pear juice aids in alcohol detoxification, an effect that seems to be influenced by the genetic variation of ALDH2.
Discover Related Insights
The extract from Hovenia Dulcis fruit (HDE) appears to decrease hangover symptoms effectively by regulating the body's inflammatory response to alcohol.
2017 Journal of Ethnopharmacology A standardized extract of the fruit of Hovenia dulcis alleviated alcohol-induced hangover in healthy subjects with heterozygous ALDH2: A randomized, controlled, crossover trial Kim H, Kim YJ, Jeong HY, Kim JY, Choi EK, Chae SW, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Alcohol Drinking Pear
The research methodology involved a randomized controlled crossover trial, utilising a group of 26 adult males with heterozygous ALDH2 who consumed Korean Soju (50g alcohol) along with HDE or a control placebo. Following consumption, blood samples were collected at baseline, or zero hours, and again at one hour, four hours, and twelve hours after treatment. The presence of alcohol, acetaldehyde, and overall hangover severity were monitored during these periods.
After the consumption of alcohol, peak blood alcohol, acetaldehyde concentrations and hangover scores were observed one hour post-treatment, with no significant differences between the HDE and placebo groups. However, the group that consumed HDE showed a noticeably larger decrease in hangover symptom scores over time compared to the placebo group. Other significant differences included measurements of olive interleukins, signaling proteins that modulate inflammation, and levels of aspartate aminotransferase, an enzyme associated with liver damage. The analysis also indicated potential interactions between the efficacy of HDE and the genetic variant CYP2E1, which may affect how individuals metabolized alcohol.
Korean pears potentially boost key alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, aiding alcohol detoxification, with effects that may vary due to human ALDH2 polymorphisms.
2012 Phytotherapy Research Effects and Action Mechanisms of Korean Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo) on Alcohol Detoxification Lee HS, Isse T, Kawamoto T, Woo HS, Kim AK, Park JY, et al.
Alcohol Drinking Pear
Methodology: The study utilized both in vitro and in vivo testing with a model of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) alternation. Korean pear extract was administered to mice exhibiting normal (C57BL/6) and deficient (Aldh2 -/-) Aldh2. Following this, the mice were given ethanol through gavage after a timeframe of 30 minutes. Implementation of GC/MS enabled quantification of alcohol and acetaldehyde levels in the blood samples.
Discussion of Results: The results from the study revealed that Korean pears stimulate activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and ALDH in vitro and in vivo, subsequently reducing blood alcohol levels regardless of ALDH2 genotype. Interestingly, the extract increased the acetaldehyde levels in blood in Aldh2 deficient mice but not in Aldh2 normal mice. This indicates that the key enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism are stimulated by Korean pears, which could be the primary mechanism involved in alcohol detoxification. Furthermore, the variations in human ALDH2 polymorphisms could result in individual variations to the detoxification effects of Korean pears.