Some users on the platform assert that the amino acids, minerals, and enzymes in asparagus help to relieve hangovers. Picture: Pexels/Aphiwat Chuangchoem
Nobody wants to wake up from a night of drinking feeling exhausted and dehydrated.
That's where well-known hangover remedies, like taking painkillers or drinking water, come in handy.
The newest cure advises using asparagus as a natural medicine.
On TikTok, there are many culinary hacks to be found, including suggestions for the unnoticed health advantages of common grocery items.
Some users on the platform assert that the amino acids, minerals, and enzymes in asparagus help to relieve hangovers.
Almost two million people have watched a video that suggests eating asparagus before drinking to "have a much better morning after."
@feelingtastyy Did you know: eating asparagus before a bozzy night helps ease the next days hangover… if thats not enough to save and make this is dont know what is?!😎 #orzo #bacon #asmr #fyp #asparagus #hangovercure #pasta ♬ Flow - Jeff Kaale
Samantha Cassetty, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, told Very Well Mind that these allegations are a little exaggerated.
A single, brief study from 2009 examined the effects of asparagus branches and leaves on rat and human liver cells.
According to a 2012 Science Daily article about the study, the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea found that cellular toxicities were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots.
This study also provided evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help protect liver cells and alleviate alcohol hangovers.
According to a 2009 study, asparagus contains amino acids and minerals that protect liver cells from toxins and aid in the relief of hangover symptoms.
When comparing samples of asparagus leaves or shoots extracted with boiling water, the leaves, a less commonly consumed component of the asparagus, contained levels of beneficial amino acids that were many folds higher than what was discovered in the immature shoots.
The same disparity was discovered when the levels of numerous inorganic minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates were examined.
It is also worth noting that this was a single study conducted over a decade ago, and it was not a clinical trial with human volunteers.
The researchers did not specify how many asparagus stalks or leaves are required to produce a beneficial effect. In other words, these findings are subject to a number of limitations.
But don't go grabbing a stalk of asparagus just yet. According to current study, asparagus has bioactive compounds that have been shown in cell experiments to preserve your liver cells and modulate the effect of alcohol.
There is biological credibility to that notion; nevertheless, it is far from a magic bullet - and because the study was conducted in a cell culture rather than in actual individuals, it is "far from proven" that asparagus has a significant influence on hangovers.
Because asparagus was not included in the 2009 study, it is impossible to say how much would be required to make a difference.
However, if you wanted to add asparagus to your hangover cure, TikTok specialists concluded that it wouldn't be harmful unless you were experiencing (gastrointestinal) trouble.
Instead, try these tried-and-true techniques to avoid a hangover:
Avoid darker alcoholic beverages (such as whisky), which contain congeners, a byproduct of the fermentation process.
Certain congeners can cause hangover symptoms. Before going to bed, drink some non-alcoholic fluids. Because alcohol is a diuretic, dehydration might aggravate your symptoms.
Eat. When you have food in your stomach, alcohol is absorbed more slowly. Before you begin drinking, take prickly pear extract. The data is sparse, but it is superior to that for asparagus.
Whatever potential hangover cures you read about, we do know that the less alcohol you ingest, the less alcohol-related hangover symptoms your body will experience.