Prickly hangover cure
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
An extract of the Opuntia ficus indica (OFI) "prickly pear" plant has a "moderate" effect in reducing hangover symptoms caused by inflammation, according to a study by Jeff Wiese, MD, Tulane University, et al., published in the June 28 Archives of Internal Medicine. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 64 volunteers were randomly assigned either 1600 IUs of OFI or placebo five hours prior to consuming 1.75 grams of alcohol per kg of body weight over a period of four hours. Assessing hangover severity and overall well-being, researchers found OFI reduced instances of nausea, dry mouth and anorexia symptoms, with a reduction in the overall symptom index and a 50% reduction in the risk of "severe" hangover...