Effect of Korean pear (Pyruspyrifolia cv. Shingo) juice on hangover severity following alcohol consumption
Lee HS, Isse T, Kawamoto T, Baik HW, Park JY, Yang M · Food and Chemical Toxicology · 2013 August
DOI 10.1016/j.fct.2013.04.007
Objective
To investigate the effects of Korean pear juice on alcohol hangover in healthy young men.
Conclusions
Korean pear juice was found to alleviate alcohol hangover symptoms, improve hangover severity, particularly in trouble concentrating, and lower blood alcohol levels. This effect may be influenced by the genetic variation of ALDH2.
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Insights
Korean pear juice can alleviate symptoms of alcohol hangover and aid in alcohol detoxification, with effectiveness influenced by certain genetic variations.
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.
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.
