Search for Hangover Cure No Longer Fruitless

August 7, 2015 – Pre-pear yourself, literally. Researchers at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) in Australia have discovered that the Asian pear, also known as the Korean or Japanese or Chinese pear has benefits beyond lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation and having anti-inflammatory effects. Drinking Asian pear juice prior to your next bender can ward off a hangover and lower blood alcohol levels.

The research headed by Dr. Manny Noakes indicates that drinking 220 ml of pear juice (7.4 U.S. ounces) will act on key enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism, alcohol dehydrongenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrongenase (ALDH) to speed up alcohol metabolism and elimination or inhibition of alcohol absorption. We’re not sure what all that means but it sounds positive.

As of now, the research applies to Asian pears, not our regular pears, and only to the juice. Whether eating the appropriate pear will work as well has yet to be determined. Asian pears are plentiful and cheap in Australia but expensive here. You see them in the market individually wrapped in Styrofoam webbing. However, when the news of their remarkable hidden benefits gets into the mainstream, surely we will see orchards being planted and add on sales being realized in bars where patrons will be offered a glass of pear juice before they get down to serious drinking.

One caveat to remember: Pear juice must be consumed prior to imbibing in alcohol. Drinking juice afterwards doesn’t work.