Title:  Mediating the effects of alcohol consumption by orally administering active dry yeast

United States Patent:  6,284,244

Appl. No.:  513022

Mediating the effects of alcohol consumption by orally administering an active dry yeast containing alcohol dehydrogenase to a person prior to or simultaneously with consumption of an alcohol-containing beverage to oxidize a portion of the alcohol while it is still in the stomach of the person is described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, blood alcohol level is lowered by the oral administration of an extraneous source of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase before or concomitantly with the drinking of the alcoholic beverage. The alcohol dehydrogenase may be consumed as the purified enzyme, or more conveniently, by the ingestion of a natural source of the enzyme, such as active dry bakers, brewers, vintners or distillers yeast. As used herein, active bakers, vintners and distillers yeast comprise Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and active brewers yeast comprises Saccharomyces uvarum. These yeasts all contain alcohol dehydrogenase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). These yeasts may be delivered in powdered, paste or liquid form, i.e. suspended in a liquid, but most conveniently are packaged in dose or portion controlled dried form as a tablet or caplet, or in capsule form.

It has been found that ingesting active dry bakers yeast (the yeast most readily available commercially) or brewers, vintners or distillers yeast, just before, or during, the drinking of an alcoholic beverage, oxidizes a portion of the alcohol while still in the stomach, which results in a lower peak blood alcohol level, and also a lesser area under the curve of a plot of blood alcohol level vs. time. The action of the alcohol dehydrogenase on the alcohol is only in the stomach, so the alcohol dehydrogenase source must be ingested while the alcoholic beverage is still in the stomach. It will have no effect once the alcohol has left the stomach and entered the bloodstream, because the enzyme is destroyed by the acidity and proteolytic action in the stomach.

Claim 1 of 5 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of mediating the effect of alcohol consumption by a person which consista essentially of orally administering active dry yeast containing alcohol dehydrogenase to said person prior to or simultaneously with consumption of an alcohol-containing beverage, whereby to oxidize a portion of the alcohol while still in the stomach of said person.

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