Could This Gel Prevent Alcohol From Damaging Your Liver?

You probably already know that too much alcohol consumption is bad for your body. Not only can it result in short-term memory loss and reduced motor functions, but the long-term impact is often detrimental to the body — most notably in the form of liver damage.

But what if there were a scientific breakthrough that allowed a person to imbibe without the potentially dangerous spirits fully entering the bloodstream, thereby bypassing the liver entirely? Well, that’s what one group of experts in Switzerland believe they’ve created.

Are you gellin’?

Let’s start with a brief overview of how alcohol does its dirty work on the human body:

• It enters the bloodstream via mucous membranes in the stomach and intestines.
• The first step of metabolism creates a toxin known as acetaldehyde.
• Before the final step, this compound can inflict damage to the liver and other organs.

But a new product could prevent this process from occurring in the first place. It’s a gel-like substance that can be ingested by mouth before, during, or immediately after drinking. It contains ingredients including glucose, nanofibers, and even gold nanoparticles that work together to prevent alcohol from entering the bloodstream at all.

Testing on mice found blood-alcohol levels were 40% lower after 30 minutes and 56% lower after five hours for animals that received the gel. They also had lower levels of liver stress and less acetaldehyde in their systems.

There’s a trade-off

Sure, this sounds great. And upcoming human tests could result in the gel being widely available. But if you’re drinking to feel the effects of alcohol, acetaldehyde is a key component.

So you’ll be able to drink, but you won’t get much more than the taste out of it.

And as lead scientist Raffaele Mezzenga explained: “It’s healthier not to drink alcohol at all.”

Chris Agee May 15th, 2024

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