People who regularly drink alcohol, especially drinking to excess, or ‘binge drinking’, risk permanent damage to their livers from the toxins in alcohol. A nasty hangover is a sure sign that the liver is struggling to combat these toxins.
Now, a study from Korea offers a surprising ally for the liver – fresh asparagus. Asparagus is widely consumed worldwide, and the trend towards eating fresh and organic produce, rather than the old-fashioned canned product, means more people are enjoying its health benefits along with the crisp texture and delicious taste.
Anticancer and Anti-inflammatory Benefits of Asparagus
According to the lead researcher of the study into asparagus and liver cells, Dr BY Kim, asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) has long been used as an herbal medicine in Asia thanks to its anticancer effects. It also has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.
The health properties of asparagus probably result from its high levels of folate and potassium, as well as it being a good source of Vitamin C. Green asparagus contains approximately six times the levels of Vitamin C than citrus fruits.
Asparagus Could be a Hangover Cure
Dr Kim said asparagus was popularly considered as a cure for hangovers, but that there was no scientific evidence to show if this was true.
He and his colleagues at the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea decided to find the metabolic basis for the hangover cure. Their study has been published in the Institute of Food Studies journal, Journal of Food Science.
Asparagus Protects Liver Cells Against Toxins
Dr Kim and his team analyzed the constituents of the young shoots and the leaves of asparagus and compared their biochemical properties and effects on human and rat liver cells.
They found that the amino acids and inorganic mineral contents were much higher in the leaves than in the stems, the part of asparagus most commonly eaten.
They then tested extracts from both the leaves and the stems of young asparagus against liver cells from rats and humans, which they exposed to toxins from hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, or tetrachloride carbon (CCl4).
Dr Kim said the effects of these toxins on the liver cells “were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of A. officinalis leaves and shoots.”
In addition, two key enzymes that metabolize ethanol – alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase – were more than twice as effective in the presence of the asparagus leaf and shoot extracts.
“These results provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells,” Dr Kim said.
Asparagus Leaves More Effective Than Stems
Dr Kim said it was pleasing that the results “provide biochemical evidence of the method by which A. officinalis exerts its biological functions, including the alleviation of alcohol hangover and the protection of liver cells against toxic insults.”
However, he pointed out that extracts from the leaves were more effective than those from the stems, as they contained higher levels of inorganic mineral compounds and amino acids.
“Moreover, the results of this study indicate that portions of asparagus that are typically discarded, such as the leaves, have the potential for therapeutic use,” he said.
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Sue Cartledge - I'm a science, health, nutrition and lifestyle journalist, fascinated by the way the physical world operates in all its forms, and how ...
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