prepeared

The science, simply

What your body does with a drink.

Five short steps, from the first sip to the last byproduct.

Animated diagram. A person takes a sip of a drink. Ethanol travels to the liver. Inside the liver, the enzyme ADH converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, then the enzyme ALDH converts acetaldehyde into acetate, one particle at a time. Each step is also described in the text beside this diagram.
  1. 01

    A sip.

    Every alcoholic drink contains ethanol. From the first sip, your body starts working to break it down.

  2. 02

    To the liver.

    Ethanol is absorbed into the blood, mostly through the stomach and small intestine, and carried to the liver.

    ethanol

  3. 03

    The first change.

    In the liver, an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) converts ethanol into acetaldehyde.

    ethanolADHacetaldehyde

    Acetaldehyde — a toxic byproduct linked to many of the unpleasant effects of drinking.

  4. 04

    The second change.

    A second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), converts acetaldehyde into acetate.

    acetaldehydeALDHacetate

    Acetate — broken down further into water and CO₂.

  5. 05

    A limited pace.

    The body clears acetaldehyde at a limited rate. Each enzyme can only work so fast, and that pace varies from person to person.

What's in the stick

Where our ingredients come in.

  • L-cysteine

    An amino acid studied for its role in binding acetaldehyde (small human study).

  • DHM

    Studied mainly in animal research for its effects on alcohol metabolism.

  • Korean pear

    A traditional Korean pre-drinking ritual, with early human research.

  • Electrolytes

    Support hydration.

A simplified illustration for general education. It is not to scale and is not medical advice. Research on these ingredients is early and limited.