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American Medical Association (AMA) 29.06.2004
Dietary Supplement with Plant Extract May Ease Hangover
Individuals who took a dietary supplement containing extracts
of Opuntia fi cus indica, a type of prickly pear cactus, before
consuming alcohol, had reduced symptoms of alcohol hangover
compared to individuals who drank but took placebo, according
to an article in the June 28 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine,
one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Alcohol hangovers cause substantial economic and health consequences,
the article states. The severity of alcohol hangovers
may be related to infl ammation caused by impurities in alcoholic
beverages and byproducts of alcohol metabolism. C-reactive
protein, a protein produced by the liver, becomes elevated after
injury or trauma and is thought to be involved in infl ammation
and alcohol hangovers. An extract from the skin of the prickly
pear fruit, Opuntia fi cus indica (OFI) has been shown to reduce
infl ammation, the article states.
Jeff Wiese, M.D., of Tulane University, New Orleans, and colleagues
investigated the effect of OFI on the symptoms of alcohol hangover.
The researchers randomly assigned 55 young adult volunteers (aged
21 to 35 years) to receive either OFI or placebo fi ve hours before
alcohol consumption. The study participants were given dinner
(cheeseburger, fries and soda) four hours before alcohol consumption
started, and were able to choose a single type of alcohol to drink
for the study: vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, scotch, or tequila.
Over four hours of drinking, volunteers consumed up to 1.75
grams of alcohol per kilogram of body weight, a quantity that
has produced hangovers in previous studies. One hour after alcohol
consumption ended, the researchers measured blood alcohol
levels, and the volunteers were driven home.
The next morning, volunteers returned to the study site and had
their vital signs measured, and blood and urine samples were
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