As we head into the festive season, the level of alcohol people tend to consume drastically increases.
As the weather gets warmer, the holidays approach, and we expect reunions with our friends and family, it’s only fair that it leads to indulgence. And despite a growing health culture in Australia, which has seen a booming zero- or less-alcohol market boom, when it comes to the holidays, people want to celebrate, and so they should.
Festive parties, Christmas itself and all the excitement that comes with the end of the year, means indulgence. And whether it’s Champagne, beer, wine or spirits – the drinking can take a toll.
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While drinking has repeatedly been proven to be categorically bad for your health (yes, that includes the glass of red for ‘antioxidants’), it doesn’t mean you should miss out on celebrations with your family and friends. But, if given the opportunity, we’re sure everyone would accept the offer for uninterrupted sleep, steady energy levels, and the lack of a soul-destroying hangover.
Anthony Taylor, the co-founder of Life Vitamins, felt much the same. And while he didn’t want to abstain from drinking altogether, didn’t like how groggy he felt the day after drinking – a reality to which many Australians can relate.
But it’s not like the hangover market is totally barren. Products like Berocca, Hairy Lemon and Body Armour claim to be a cure to the burn of the morning after. But from Taylor’s experience, nothing quite worked the way he wanted – nor did it effectively rid him of the pounding headache the next day.
So he, along with friend and pharmacist Rohit Uppal, co-founded Alc-eze, a hangover relief solution that actually has the science to back it up.
Alc-Eze, launched in March of this year, is on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, listed as a medicine for relieving hangover symptoms.
It’s made from 18 different ingredients, all-natural, which are traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to maintain/support natural liver cleansing/detoxification processes. Its hero ingredient is Nashi pear, also known as a Korean or Asian pear, which has long been touted for its health benefits, particularly in Eastern medicine.
Key benefits include boosted energy from natural sugars, and is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to maintain/support healthy liver function , aided digestion thanks to the high fibre content, and maintain/support immune system to fight illness, thanks to vitamin C.
Nashi pears are actually considered a superfood but have been snubbed from the same level of hype as kale.
So how does it actually work? Uppal says “When you’re drinking, your body converts any alcohol consumed into a chemical called acetaldehyde. This process can lead to a feeling of fatigue, thirst, headache, muscle aches and nausea – or what most of us would refer to as a hangover.
“Your liver then uses the enzyme ALDH2 to convert acetaldehyde to acetate to help your body get rid of the alcohol. What alc-eze does is essentially boost your natural production of ALDH2 to speed up this process to make you feel better, faster,” he adds.
Along with the pears, Alc-eze also contains more than 20 essential vitamins, which not only help with hangover symptoms, but also help to reduce flushing, promote collagen formation, eye health, aid in detoxification processes, support bone health, and red blood cell production and circulation.
Taylor himself takes Alc-eze every day, not because he’s on the wines every night, but because he says the effects are so clear on his wider sense of wellness, particularly for energy levels.
So could the key to reducing those god-awful hangovers we all know and loathe, really lie in a pear? Well, the product is listed as a medication, but the key lies in getting enough of it.
At this stage, you have to take three Alc-eze tablets to consume enough of the pear enzymes for it to make a difference. In fact, the packet directions suggest people take three tablets before you start drinking, and another three before you go to bed.
It means you’ll get through the bottle of 30 tablets pretty quickly, but if it does actually ease hangover symptoms, surely that’s worthwhile.
“We’ve travelled the world and worked with some of the world’s leading scientists to find a natural solution that works, so you can enjoy a night out and feel better the next day,” says Uppal. “It’s a game-changer.”
Alc-eze is available on the Life Vitamins website starting at $39.99, as well as selected retailers throughout Australia, including Blooms The Chemist stores. Always read the label and follow directions for use.
