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Scientists Discover Booze That Won't Give You a Hangover

Kwang-il Kwon and Hye Gwang Jeong of Chungnam National University have discovered that drinking alcohol with oxygen bubbles added leads to fewer hangovers and a shorter sobering up time. People drinking the bubbly booze sobered up 20-30 minutes faster and had less severe and fewer hangovers than people who drank the non-fizzy stuff. Kwon said: "The oxygen-enriched alcohol beverage reduces plasma alcohol concentrations faster than a normal dissolved-oxygen alcohol beverage does. This could provide both clinical and real-life significance. The oxygen-enriched alcohol beverage would allow individuals to become sober faster, and reduce the side effects of acetaldehyde without a significant difference in alcohol's effects. Furthermore, the reduced time to a lower BAC may reduce alcohol-related accidents."

25 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. Beer by sopssa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Reducing hangover is all fine and good, but if it sobers you up faster couldn't you just get a beer with less alcohol? The effect is basically the same.

    For that matter, the high and fast drunkenness is probably even worse. You know it goes away fast, so you drink faster and more. This would probably be good for taking a one quick beer at lunch or so, but hangover isn't an issue then.

    If I'm going out or take some beers otherwise, I rather have it last longer and be more balanced over the night. That's also why I prefer those Belgian 11% beers. In addition to having more taste in them, one glass lasts a lot longer and you don't need to be pissing all the time.

    Now give me a 80% vodka with no hangovers and I'm ready to roll.

    1. Re:Beer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      no he meant 160 Proof, he doesn't f$%# around when it comes to Vodka.

    2. Re:Beer by sopssa · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, I did mean 80%. It kicks ass ;)

    3. Re:Beer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As a brewer by profession I would like to make it known: Oxygen is the enemy plain and simple. After/during fermentation it should not come in contact with the beer/wort until it's in the customer's glass. We take great measures to assure this.

    4. Re:Beer by nabsltd · · Score: 5, Informative

      Though most of them are now listed in the "%ABV(#Proof) format. Kind of sad, since it shows that some people are too stupid to realize that proof is just ABV/2.

      Irony, thy name is "Omestes".

      Proof = ABV * 2, not ABV / 2.

    5. Re:Beer by CaptKeen · · Score: 5, Funny

      A solution to the problem does exist, though. It's called "everything in moderation."

      ... including moderation.

      I find I personally like my moderation in moderate amounts.

      --
      --
    6. Re:Beer by Otto · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Kind of sad, since it shows that some people are too stupid to realize that proof is just ABV/2.

      That was sort of the point of my original conversation.

      Proof = ABV * 2, but only in the United States. In the United Kingdom, Proof = 7/4 * ABV. Meaning that pure ethanol is 175 degrees proof in the UK, but 200 proof in the US. A vodka that US people would call 80 proof would only be 70 proof in the UK.

      Proof is basically an historical measurement only, and here in the US we don't even have the correct ratio to make it historically accurate. 7:4 is the correct ratio for the gunpowder explanation, not 2:1. So proof, as you use it, is totally meaningless.

      --
      - Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set him on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
    7. Re:Beer by Red+Flayer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hangovers are at least partially caused by dehydration. The "quality" of your vodka will have no effect on that.

      I'll second that.

      Another cause is nervous system acclimation to the alcohol. EtOH is a central nervous system depressant -- in response to prolonged periods of EtOH intoxication, the nervous system ramps up production of some neurotransmitters. When the alcohol intoxication wears off, your nervous system is primed to over-react to stimuli. This is why loud noise and bright light is so bothersome to people with hangovers. I believe it is also why some of the effects of dehydration (especially the headache!) are so pronounced when hung over.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  2. My fool-proof no-hangover method by Pojut · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have followed this rule religiously once I started drinking socially. As a result, I have never gotten a hangover. Here it is:

    For every three beers or three shots you drink, drink a glass of water. Also, try to make sure you drink a glass of water before falling asleep.

    You will be hangover free...guaranteed. Simple, safe, and effective.

  3. Get Back to Work!!! by Maniacal · · Score: 5, Funny

    No hangover - Good
    Faster sober - Bad

    You're not done mister, get back to the lab.

    --
    MG
  4. time to soberness by godrik · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When you are drunk, you are for hours. I don't think removing 20/30 minutes is that relevant.

  5. Side effects... by Antony+T+Curtis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I am not sure of the benefits of a alcoholic drink which "sobers up faster" other than "sells more booze, kaching!".

    Since it has dissolved oxygen, would it whiten teeth too?

    What would be revolutionary would be a drink which kept the imbibers drunk for a lengthy but known amount of time but after that time, the imbiber would sober up quickly without hangover...

    --
    No sig. Move along - nothing to see here.
  6. Re:Soju with oxygen? by maeka · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm sold! I'll go check the local Uwajimaya (Asian superstore) for some of this. I don't even remember Soju being in liquor stores. Beer or sparkling wine have carbon dioxide, which it looks like doesn't count.

    One goes to great lengths (for good reason) when bottling beverages to remove existing oxygen, and prevent introduction of new oxygen.
    If this technique for reducing hangovers becomes popular it will need to be done shortly before consumption. (Value-added service at the bar?)

  7. Do NOT Want by Conchobair · · Score: 5, Funny

    If I want to be sober, I just won't drink. However, when I do drink, (I won't drive) I want to be drunk and stay drunk. I want to be drunk all night and when I wake upside down in a sleeping bag trying to get it open with my toes, I want to wonder how I got there and not be able to remember. This just takes all the fun out of drinking.

  8. Bah... by mdm-adph · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can get the same thing with an alcohol enema.

    And we've all been there, right?!?

    Right...?

    --
    It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
  9. Homebrewing with oxygen by fear025 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As a homebrewer, I know that oxidation of beer can give it "cardboardy" flavors, so this technology is probably useless for beer.

    I'm not sure how long oxidation needs to occur before the off flavors manifest though, so perhaps you could force-oxygenate at pour time.

    Sounds like some experiments need to be done...

  10. "No thanks, I like my beer like I like my women" by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 5, Funny

    cold and devoid of oxygen

  11. Re:Hydration by chronosan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is your doctor badanalogyguy?

  12. Somewhat Makes Sense from a Diving Perspective by PerfectionLost · · Score: 3, Informative

    Recently I became a licensed Scuba diver. One thing you learn in scuba diving classes is that you are more likely to get nitrogen poisoning if you are dehydrated, or had been drinking substantially the night before. Typically the way you do a first response treatment of nitrogen poisoning is by supplying pure oxygen.

    I'm sure there's a Q.E.D. in there but I'm pretty sure I'm missing some steps.

  13. Re:"No thanks, I like my beer like I like my women by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 4, Funny

    Stout and thick-headed?

    --
    Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
  14. well known amongst aviators... by advocate_one · · Score: 4, Interesting
    many a time I've had a hit of the oxygen the morning after while doing the pre-flight servicing on Phantoms... just plug the PEC in and take a good hit while doing the check of the audio and oxygen systems... anyone questions you, just state you thought you smelt something odd in the breathing air mix and was taking a long sniff to check...

    ps, I was doing this over thirty years ago... and it was well known as a hangover cure back then...

    --
    Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  15. Re:Hope they don't try this with hard liquor by clone53421 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I’d be able to tell a story about Everclear, if only I remembered it.

    --
    Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
  16. Who cares what the researchers say by Fujisawa+Sensei · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who cares what the researchers say.

    I'm going to have to do my own research. In cases like this, first hand knowledge is the only way to go.

    --
    If someone is passing you on the right, you are an asshole for driving in the wrong lane.
  17. Re:"No thanks, I like my beer like I like my women by Chapter80 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Flat and with yeast issues?

  18. Re:"No thanks, I like my beer like I like my women by Valdrax · · Score: 4, Funny

    Aged 2 months and picked up at the grocery store?

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").