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Vodka has validated the existence of the potato for years upon years, but it can certainly be scary thinking about what alcohol can do to your health. It’s 2017, why can’t we have invented vodka that doesn’t screw up your liver by now? Well, an Indian researcher has developed a compound that will allow just that to become reality.
Can this really be a reality? Vodka that won’t ruin my liver!
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Harsha Chigurupati developed this compound, said to protect against liver and DNA damage caused by alcohol consumption, and gave it the name NTX (meaning “no-tox”). In a study coming from Chigurupati, biomarkers said that liver damage had been lower by 93% for people who consumed NTX-infused vodka as opposed to regular vodka. Later studies showed that the NTX-infused drink also had lower results of DNA damage.
What matter of witchcraft is this? What is this vodka made of?
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The NTX-infused vodka is made of three primary ingredients: potassium sorbate (a food preservative and anti-oxidant), glycyrrhizin (an anti-inflammatory created from licorice root) and mannitol (a diuretic that helps the body to lose water).
Things like this always come at a cost…what are the drink’s risks?
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Ramon Bataller, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a liver physician, said in a statement, according to Daily Mail, that while the drink seems promising, he is reportedly concerned over the effects of the mannitol, which is traditionally used to reduce intracranial pressure for comatose people. Added to that, there is also concern that most research concerning the drink is to0 early to determine any long-term effects and that any health improvements gained by NTX will distract people from other health problems caused by alcohol, like addiction or birth defects.
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In fact, the United States Alcohol and Tobacco and Trade Bureau already rejected a petition from Chigurupati, warning that, “The proposed labeling and advertising statements create a misleading impression that consumption of alcohol beverages infused with NTX will protect consumers from certain serious health risks associated with both moderate and heavy levels of alcohol consumption.”
You had me at vodka! Where can I get this magic NTX vodka?
Although Chigurupati is currently arranging with regulators to publicly verify the compound’s health claims, New Jersey-based spirits brand Bellion is already selling NTX-infused vodka in around 11 different states and is planning to extend their reach by 2018.
Who cares about all this? How does it taste?!
After all, people already drink traditional vodka in spite of the risk it can cause to their bodies, so the most important part is how the new drink tastes. You might worry it’s like diet soda; it won’t kill you as quickly but the taste almost makes you wish that it did. According to Daily Mail, Giuseppe González, who opened the Suffolk Arms on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the drink tastes “sweet as hell.”
