Jim Koch is one of the big guys behind Sam Adams beer, and he's letting us in on a little secret that could revolutionize drinking. Koch claims there's a way to drink more and not get drunk -- by eating yeast.
His master brewer friend Joseph Owades shared this genius tip with him -- something we all could've used years ago. Apparently, ingesting one teaspoon of yeast (before drinking) for every beer will force alcohol to start breaking down in your stomach, reducing the effects of alcohol, as Esquire explains:
Active dry yeast has an enzyme in it called alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH). Roughly put, ADH is able to break alcohol molecules down into their constituent parts of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Which is the same thing that happens when your body metabolizes alcohol in its liver. Owades realized if you also have that enzyme in your stomach when the alcohol first hits it, the ADH will begin breaking it down before it gets into your bloodstream and, thus, your brain.
Eating yeast probably isn't the most enjoyable experience, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. The beauty of science, folks.
If you've ever tried this and can attest to/disprove the magical powers of yeast, let us know in the comments below!
