Is ‘Synthetic Alcohol’ the Cure for Hangovers?

British scientists say it merely 'mimics' inebriation

January 11, 2018 9:00 am

You’re splayed across an armchair, head splitting, trying to work up the courage to nibble a cracker.

Why is this happening to me?

Well. Remember when you willingly guzzled poison last night?

Throwing back a few (or six) is so synonymous with relaxation, with catch-ups and fun, it’s easy to forget alcohol literally ushers a toxic byproduct from the liver: acetaldehyde.

Enter: David Nutt, director of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College in London. Nutt studies the way drugs affect the brain, and his startup Alcarelle plans to create a synthetic alcohol that mimics inebriation without triggering toxins or creating carcinogens.

The larger scientific community is understandably dubious. Nutt has remained mum on the specifics in order to protect his chemical discovery … and probably to generate some Elon Musk by way of Willy Wonka intrigue.

Skeptical peers point to the human preference for ethanol after centuries of adaptation, abuse of modern drug hacks like e-cigarettes and cultural proclivities as hurdles for Nutt and his team. Not to mention his hope for $7 million in investments. Few can dispute, though, it’d be one heck of a gamechanger if he pulled it off.

We’ll throw some coin your way, David. Anything to get off this armchair.

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