Swiss Researchers Develop Alcohol Neutralizing Gel for Hangovers

Going to the beach? Slather on some sunscreen. Touch a doorknob at a gas station bathroom? Rub on some hand sanitizer. Drink too much? Sip some alcohol-neutralizing gel.

Say what? That’s right — Swiss scientists have come up with a new invention: a gel that works as an alcohol neutralizer. Let’s find out more!

Alcohol Metabolism and Hangovers

We’ve all been there — the headache, shaky hands, and pit-of-the-stomach anxiety mixed with nausea. It’s all an unpleasant reminder of having too many margaritas (or beers — hangovers don’t discriminate) the night before.

Hangover cures are a dime a dozen, ranging from the plausible (but less-than-effective) to the downright bizarre. Ever heard of rubbing lemons under your armpits, drinking pickle juice, or (gulp!) eating a canary?

Out of all the hangover cure inventors out there, ancient Romans take the prize. According to Gizmodo, ancient wine enthusiasts would try to counteract the effects through “feather of the bird” instead of “hair of the dog” by (brace yourself!) “deep-frying a canary and scarfing it down.”

That said, the Namibians aren’t too far behind: after a night of partying, they would drink “Buffalo Milk.” And no, it’s not milk that comes from buffalos. Instead, the questionable concoction is “just clotted cream (from cows), dark rum, spiced rum, cream liqueur, and whole cream” — not that far off from whatever caused the hangover to begin with. Plus, “in addition to a belly full of booze and dairy, Buffalo Milk adds a sugar crash to the blend of bad feelings.” 

Hangover Science

Why are many hangover cures such flops? The answer boils down to a few key factors that stem from the way our body breaks down alcohol. For a deeper look, check out “What Exactly Happens During a Hangover?” but for now, here’s the gist:

• Acetaldehyde buildup. This one is the main culprit. The liver uses two enzymes (proteins that get chemical reactions going) to break down booze. The first — alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) — converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, a compound more toxic than alcohol itself. The second — aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) — picks up the slack and turns acetaldehyde into harmless acetic acid, which gets excreted by the body through urine.
  
  However, since the liver can only do so much at a time, if we keep those drinks coming, acetaldehyde builds up, making itself known through all those pesky hangover symptoms.
• Dehydration. Alcohol suppresses vasopressin — a hormone that tells the kidneys to hold on to water. The result? Incessant trips to the bathroom throughout the night and dehydration the morning after.
• Inflammation. Drinking also triggers inflammation — our body’s response to invading pathogens that plays a key role in the immune response.

Some of the hangover “cures” do have a bit of science in them (the idea of pickle juice, for example, is to replenish lost electrolytes). However, most don’t actually prevent the morning-after woes or do much to mitigate the situation.

How the New Gel Interrupts the Process

With the new wonder gel, alcohol might have finally met its match! Instead of downing pickle juice or munching on canaries, we can now go straight to the root of the problem by taking acetaldehyde out of the picture. Meant to be consumed right after alcohol consumption, and designed to neutralize alcohol, it eliminates the need for the enzyme tag team altogether. Instead of relying on alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, we now have their synthetic cousin that’s able to convert alcohol into acetic acid directly. 

A Powerful Trio: Iron, Glucose, and Gold

Led by scientist Jiaqi Su, the team took some plain old whey proteins and boiled them into long fibers. Next, they added salt and water to get the fibers to literally “gel together.” 

In theory, the fibers were up to the task of converting alcohol into acetic acid directly. However, the scientists needed to give them a bit of help to get the reaction going. Thinking creatively, they put the proteins in an iron bath and added a bit of glucose and a dash of gold to the mix. 

Before anyone gets confused, no, the gold wasn’t there for decoration. Instead, the reaction of glucose and gold nanoparticles produced hydrogen peroxide, which acted as a catalyst for the digestion process.

From Liver to Gut: Digestion Detour

The researchers added this “magic mix” of iron, glucose, and gold to their gel. The idea behind this process was to trigger alcohol metabolism early, rerouting it to the gut and saving the liver the trouble.

As team member Raffaele Mezzenga explains, “The gel shifts the breakdown of alcohol from the liver to the digestive tract. In contrast to when alcohol is metabolized in the liver, no harmful acetaldehyde is produced as an intermediate product.”

At least that’s the theory behind the invention. But did it actually work in practice?

Three (or More) Drunk Mice

To test the new gel, the scientists had to bring in some animal assistants. But don’t worry, nobody was eating them. Instead, the researchers threw an equivalent of a rager for a few lab mice by feeding them alcohol. Once nice and buzzed, the mice were given the alcohol neutralizer.

As it turned out, in this case (unlike in the case of the ancient Roman canaries), thinking outside the box paid off.

The new gel did the trick: a cascade of reactions turned alcohol into acetic acid. Within half an hour, the alcohol levels of the mice dropped by 40%, and after five hours by more than 55%. And there were some extra perks: the mice had less acetaldehyde buildup, less liver damage, and a healthier blood composition overall.

Surprisingly, the benefits continued! Mice that were sent on a 10-day alcohol binge ended up faring much better if their drinks came with a side of the neutralizing gel. Their livers were spared much of the toxic effects and were able to metabolize fats better than their less lucky counterparts.

Alcohol Neutralizer vs. Other “Hangover Cures”

How does the new gel compare to other hangover cures? Unlike most other morning-after remedies (and prevention techniques), it goes straight for the source of the unpleasant symptoms — acetaldehyde buildup. In this way, it’s ahead of the rest.

A Note of Caution

However, the gel is by no means a “magic bullet” and comes with some serious limitations.

• It only works if alcohol is still in the GI tract. The gel is meant to be consumed at the same time or shortly after alcohol consumption. Once alcohol is in our bloodstream, the damage is done — the liver is already involved, and it’s too late for the shortcut to take effect.
• It’s not a green flag to keep the drinks flowing. Drinking too much is still dangerous. For one thing, we still get the cognitive impairment that comes from alcohol’s effect on the brain. We also still experience other harmful effects such as the damage it does to our GI tract, for example. Plus, we still get the dopamine hit, which means there’s potential for dependence.

As Mezzenga sums up, “It’s healthier not to drink alcohol at all … However, the gel could be of particular interest to people who don’t want to give up alcohol completely, but don’t want to put a strain on their bodies and aren’t actively seeking the effects of alcohol.”

Tips To Stay Safe

Gel or no gel, it’s important to stay safe when alcohol is in the picture. Here are a few tips for the journey:

• Track your intake. It’s important to have a clear picture of the situation. If hangovers have become a regular thing, it may be time to get tracking and see how much you’re actually consuming. It might be more than you think! (Those bottomless mimosas add up, and a “wine glass” at a restaurant can be close to half a bottle.)
• Plan ahead. Instead of planning on how to avoid a hangover, it’s always better to plan on a drink limit when you set out. Try to stick to it, and use an accountability buddy if that helps. Either way, you want to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about booze.
• Consider cutting back or taking a break. If you’re finding yourself breaking the limit you set over and over again (or reaching for that gel a bit too often), consider cutting back. Don’t look at reducing alcohol or taking a break from it altogether as a limitation — instead, think of it as an experiment or an exploration of the fun that’s out there beyond booze.
• Nourish your body. Alcohol depletes our body of electrolytes, fluids, and vital nutrients (which don’t get absorbed as efficiently when booze is in the picture). Make sure to eat well every day, and be especially careful about eating before you drink. (And we’re not talking chips and pretzels here — your body needs high-quality fuel provided by whole grains, healthy fats, lean meats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.)
• Get moving. Exercise works wonders for keeping cravings at bay and giving you a natural mood boost by releasing endorphins and dopamine. No alcohol (and no gel) required! And even if you do end up overdoing it and wake up to a hangover the next day, try to incorporate some movement. Trekking to the gym might be asking too much, but any movement counts — and if you break a sweat, that’s even better!
• Get rest. Alcohol is notorious for messing with sleep. While you might doze off initially, chances are you’ll wake up feeling groggy, even if you stayed in bed until noon. Why? Booze disrupts our natural sleep cycle, sending us straight into deep sleep and skimping on the most restorative REM stages.
• Explore life beyond booze. Most importantly, remember that there’s so much more to life than booze, hangovers, and neutralizing gels. Explore alcohol-free activities (such as hiking, meditation, continuing education classes, audio books, escape rooms, trivia nights, and anything else your mind fancies). Who knows, you might end up finding some new favorites and wish you’d done so sooner! Stay in the mindset of curiosity and exploration throughout the process. It’s all about adding fun to your life — not deprivation.

And remember, Reframe is here for you! Our thriving community of global users is here to support you every step of the way.

Feeling Better

Having tools — such as the alcohol neutralizer gel — to use when the situation calls for it is helpful. But it’s not the end of the story. In We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life, Laura McKowen writes: “My drinking — and whatever it is you do to feel better — was born of a natural impulse to soothe, to connect, to feel love. And although alcohol hadn’t actually delivered those things, it was absolutely yoked to them in my mind. In my heart and body too. It was just what I knew.”

Let’s continue exploring what makes us feel better — truly better, long after the drinks have been served, consumed, and (maybe) neutralized with gel. There’s so much to discover!