A Vodka that Prevents Liver Damage?

Did anyone else drink too much in college and subsequently convince yourself that your liver is permanently damaged? Then we have potentially great news, and it comes in the form of Bellion Vodka. Thanks to a proprietary compound called NTX, a blend of natural sweetener, a diuretic sugar alcohol and potassium sorbate (a preservative), it could be the key to vodka that will play nice with your liver.

India-based Chigurupati Technologies has spent 10 years developing this NTX technology, so that when it’s mixed with alcohol, it protects the liver, reducing damaging effects by 93% in testing. Their clinical testing is based on moderate, social alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is metabolized in your liver, but when you binge drink, your liver can become overwhelmed and damaged. The alcohol then accumulates in your system, destroying cells and organs. So if NTX is the real deal, I’m about to step up my happy hour game.

Bellion Spirits and Chigurupati Technologies joined forces and filed the world’s first-ever health claim petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). They’re backed by groups like the Coalition for Safer Drinking and Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty and have banded together to “confront the TTB’s use of excessive governmental regulations, cronyism and financial gain in the $1.2 trillion a year alcoholic beverages industry.”

According to a press release on Bellion’s site, the TTB prevents the labeling of positive health statements like theirs. Maybe they’re preventing this for a reason? According to Vinepair, the TTB hasn’t bought into Bellion’s claims since 2014, concerned that NTX represents Naltrexone (a drug used to treat alcohol dependence), rather than “new techniques.” Their studies were also done on small groups, the first trial with 12 people and the second with 31.

Though it’s inconclusive, Bellion is touching on a corner of the spirits market that has a growing demand and zero supply. Skinnygirl came into the mix several years ago with low-calorie wines, flavored vodkas and premade cocktails (the spicy lime margarita is a girl’s night gamechanger), but they’ve been marketed for women and dieters rather than heavy drinkers who’d like to prevent liver damage.

The “healthiest” way to drink straight liquor is served neat – eliminating the mixer cuts back on sugar and calories, plus the unfriendly taste will encourage slower sipping. Men’s Fitness says that if you’re having more than one drink, stick to clear liquor like vodka and gin and choose red wine over white for cardio benefits and longevity.

Bellion Vodka is available in select states and online, though the company is planning to go nationwide later this year. More “functional spirits” made with NTX are also slated to release in 2017. Tequila, please!