Hovenia Dulcis-An Effective Remedy for Hangover|Medical Benefits of Hovenia Dulcis

Drinking alcoholic beverages with friends or families is always fun but hangover, the next morning is not fun as it can make you feel drowsy and decrease your productivity. Out of the many remedies, here we look at one popular remedy, Hovenia Dulcis in dealing with hangover. Let us also understand the medical benefits of Hovenia Dulcis.

About Hovenia Dulcis

Hovenia Dulcis is a Japanese Raisin Tree that has been used as a traditional medicine by Chinese and Korean medical practitioners for treating several diseases like liver damage, parasitic infections, balancing sugar levels as well as to treat hangovers. It is popular for its medical benefits and is known as an effective remedy in dealing with hangover.

Hovenia Dulcis belong to the Rhamnaceae family. This species has two variants that are commonly known as Stomentella and Koreana. Interestingly, both these variants have medicinal properties. One can find these species in the surrounding areas of China, Japan, Korea as well as the Himalayas.

The ripe fruit of the tree is sweet in nature and it is the edible part of the tree. This fruit can be transformed into candy, juice or beverages like wine and vinegar by fermenting it. It can also be taken in the dried form as well that looks similar to raisins.

The main ingredients of Hovenia Dulcis are Dihydroflavonols, Dihydromyricetin, Laricetrin and Gallocatechin. Among these, Dihydromyricetin is considered to possess anti-alcohol properties. Similar anti-alcohol properties are found in Dihydroflavonols as well, but it is not considered as a key active ingredient.

Hovenia Dulcis-An Effective Remedy for Hangover

Hovenia Dulcis-An Effective Remedy for Hangover

Drinking alcoholic beverages with friends or families is always fun, but hangover the next morning is not fun as it can make you feel drowsy and decrease your productivity. Some of the common symptoms associated with a hangover are nausea, dizziness, difficulty in balancing, garbled speech, vague vision and cognitive impairment. Dealing with hangover can be really difficult and may need special attention in some cases. Regular drinkers and those experiencing hangovers need to consider Hovenia Dulcis in dealing with hangover.

Usually, when the alcohol level begins to decline from your blood, an after effect of alcohol begins. So you can get rid of hangover when your alcohol level in the blood reaches to zero. Alcohol is first metabolized as acetaldehyde with an enzyme called ADH and later it is transformed as acetic acid by another enzyme called as ALDH. This is where Hovenia Dulcis helps in dealing with hangover. The activity of both these enzymes decreases after ingestion of Hovenia Dulcis. Also, the ingredient of Hovenia Dulcis, Dihydromyricetin decreases the circulating levels of alcohol.

A study describes that Hovenia Dulcis helps in metabolizing the alcohol at a much faster rate, thus ensuring quick relief from drunkenness or hangover. It is also believed that Hovenia Dulcis has the ability to cure alcohol-induced muscle pain. Hovenia Dulcis is therefore known to mitigate the after effect of alcohol so that you may no longer have to suffer from any of the symptoms of hangover. This makes it an effective remedy, thus making Hovenia Dulcis popular remedy to get rid of hangover.

Medical Benefits of Hovenia Dulcis

Hovenia Dulcis is known for its medicinal properties making it popular for dealing with hangover. It is a key source of dihydromyricetin that is used as a hangover medication by a lot of medical practitioners in the sub eastern countries. Some of the most known medical benefits of Hovenia Dulcis include:

Decrease Circulating Levels of Alcohol

The ripe fruit and the stem of Hovenia Dulcis can be consumed to get rid of the hangover. It gives better result when consumed half an hour before drinking alcohol as the presence of dihydromyricetin reduces the circulating levels of alcohol. This is one of the most important medical benefits of Hovenia Dulcis.

Decrease Intoxication Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol abuse often leads to bothersome symptoms of intoxication. The extract is also very effective in reducing the effects of intoxication caused by alcohol. This is one of the other popular medical benefits of Hovenia Dulcis.

Treats Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a serious medical condition that occurs in some people after hangover. This can be treated with modern medications that cause severe side effects, however, researchers have found that Dihydromyricetin, the active ingredient of Hovenia Dulcis, has the ability to cure alcohol withdrawal syndrome with no or less side effect.

Sense of Coordination or Balance

The other crucial medical benefit of Hovenia Dulcis is that it can be effectively used to rectify the lack of coordination commonly associated with hangover.

Protect Liver from Damage

Hovenia Dulcis contains ingredients that protect your liver from the damage caused by alcohol intake. This is one of the surprising medical benefits of Hovenia Dulcis. Traditionally, it has been used by a lot of physicians to treat liver related diseases and to detoxify the liver. Taking it in your diet not only helps in aiding hangover, but also helps in eliminating all the alcohol induced toxins from the liver. So if you are more concerned about your liver damage caused due to alcohol consumption, try adding any form of Hovenia Dulcis to your diet. You could never go wrong with this.

How to Consume Hovenia Dulcis?

Hovenia Dulcis has been found to be most effective in reducing the circulating alcohol levels when consumed half an hour after drinking alcohol. However, consuming half an hour before drinking alcohol also showed a remarkable level of efficiency. As per a study, those who ingested Hovenia Dulcis experienced less or no effects of a hangover like a headache and nausea. This makes Hovenia Dulcis a powerful remedy in dealing with hangover.

The ingredients of Hovenia Dulcis extracted and transformed into various forms like capsules, juice, candy, and vinegar. Many products are available in the market with the active ingredients of Hovenia Dulcis in the form of capsules. So, you can also take it in the form of capsules if you do not want to chew the ripe fruits. Seeking medical advice beforehand may also be a good option to avoided misuse.

In spite of many useful ingredients in Hovenia Dulcis, some people make consuming Hovenia Dulics a habit and get addicted to alcohol. Remember, Hovenia Dulcis should only be used occasionally to reduce the effect of hangover.

In a lot of cases, it has been seen that Hovenia Dulcis has stopped showing its positive effects in curing the symptoms of hangover due to over consumption. The same individuals claimed to feel better on the next morning, even after having heavy drinks, when they that initially started taking Hovenia Dulcis; however, with time, because of the regular consumption of Hovenia Dulcis, the effect decreased.

Although, Hovenia Dulcis is remarkable in dealing with hangover, it should not be assumed that it shall decrease the blood alcohol levels to escape medical tests. So it is advised, not to drive even if you consumed Hovenia Dulcis before consuming alcohol. Thus, it can be concluded that there are many medicinal benefits of Hovenia Dulcis and occasional use of Hovenia Dulcis helps in dealing with hangover. But it should not be overused or misused for any purpose and the supplements are also best taken with medical advice.

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:January 11, 2018

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