Human beings have been enjoying fermented alcoholic beverages for millennia and have also been suffering the morning after effects (such as hangover) likely for just as long.
One of the major reasons for alcohol consumption is alcohol's effect on the central nervous system. The clinical effects are well characterized and range from mild euphoria to coma and death. A common side effect of excessive consumption is hangover, a symptom complex which may include headache, nausea, vomiting, thirst, dry mouth, tremors, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps, fuzzy cognition, poor visual-spatial coordination, pain, hallucinations, shaking and sweating. Hangover results in decreased productivity of the workforce, estimated to represent losses of $148 billion yearly in the US alone.
It would be beneficial to be able to reduce alcohol's effects on the central nervous system and to be able to reduce and/or prevent hangover. Thus, there is a need for a product which is effective at lowering alcohol level and preventing hangover following alcohol consumption.