According to several recently released studies, polls, and reports, more people are drinking alcohol than ever before—thanks to COVID-19. After a near two-year lockdown, shots of vodka, tequila, scotch, whiskey, and an old-fashioned six-pack of beer have become fixtures for hundreds of thousands of Americans. An alcohol-fueled weekend is always followed by a Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning mind-numbing hangover with severe headaches, diarrhea, and nausea.
Earlier this year, a German-based company with a U.S. connection in Florida announced a cure-all of sorts to the hangover. It’s a pill called Alcovit and soaks up firewater unlike anything ever before. The timing of the supplement is right on time– following some sobering statistics (pun intended) about the increase in drinking and smoking during the pandemic.
In an article earlier this year in JAMA, the American Medical Association Journal, a physician said, “Prior to COVID-19, alcohol was a significant public health and mental health concern. The pandemic has created a host of issues impacting every facet of life and functioning.” Another on the wagon stat (pun intended) was released in July by another medical journal—Lancet Oncology. The study showed that about 4 percent of all new cancer cases in 2020 were caused by excessive alcohol consumption. The study showed that most cancers—commonly cirrhosis occurred in people who have more than two drinks a day; more than 100,000 cases worldwide were in people who averaged less than that.
Supposedly, what makes Alcovit unique is that it focuses on the metabolic effects of alcohol and starts working at the front end of the digestive system. According to a press release, the key ingredient is something called zeolite. It sops up the alcohol like a thick sponge before the moonshine is fully absorbed into the digestive system. As a result, a drinker doesn’t get the full impact of the liquor and subsequently escapes extended periods in the toilet following a wild booze binge the night before. The results of consumer trials show the use of Alcovit reduces the amount of blood alcohol concentration by an average of 51%. And Alcovit should be enough to manage the alcohol from around three to four beers or several glasses of wine.
At any rate, while COVID cases continue to least level off and more people are getting vaccinated, perhaps the big spike in social drinking will also decrease. If not, I guess new cure-alls for the proverbial hangover will continue to emerge. For those folks, including myself, in the over 50 age group of imbibers, the old-fashion remedy of drinking raw eggs in a glass of tomato juice will remain the only true cure for a hangover! Cheers, and drink up!