By 
Everyone has a theory about the best way to cure, or even prevent, the dreaded hangover. There's padding your belly with deliciously greasy pizza (or fried chicken wings, in my case), taking ibuprofen before bed, chugging gallons of coffee in the morning, and the bold hair-of-the-dog tactic. Typically, no matter what we try to do, there's still a residual, pounding headache, an upset stomach, or—worst of all—nausea. But a recent study has revealed there could be an ultimate cure-all for too much booze: drinking pear juice.
Researchers at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CISRO), the Australian government's scientific research organization, found that test subjects who consumed 220mL (just under 1 cup) of Asian pear juice before drinking alcohol had fewer and/or diminished hangover symptoms the next day. Of all the hangover symptoms, the greatest improvement was seen in subjects' ability to concentrate. But the juice also has anti-inflammatory effects, which means that splitting headache will dull, if not go away entirely.
The reason behind this phenomenon isn't clear just yet, but the study's lead researcher, Manny Noakes, suggests that pear juice contains enzymes that are necessary for speeding up alcohol metabolism and slightly inhibiting alcohol absorption. While the results of this study haven't been finalized, they do mirror a similar case study from 2013, where Asian pears (also known as Korean pears) significantly cut the severity of participants' hangovers.
It's important to note that the positive effects of the fruit juice were only seen if it was taken prior to getting hammered, so gulping down a big glass before you pass out won't work. And there's no word on whether different pear varieties, such as Bartlett and D'Anjou, will offer the same benefits to imbibers. Researchers are also still looking into whether you can eat the whole fruit and gain the same hangover remedies. We doubt we'll hear back on whether peanut-butter pear crisp or pear-cheesecake trifle will do the trick, though.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
