But now there may be new hope for those who ‘can’t hold their drink’ due to a fault in a gene – ALDH2 – that normally helps the body process alcohol. When we drink alcohol, the liver then converts the ethanol it contains into another chemical, called acetaldehyde. This genetic intolerance to alcohol is different from the allergic reactions that people can experience to other ingredients. The Alcolase supplement, which has yet to be tested on humans, works by absorbing alcohol as it enters the stomach. ‘Once they quit alcohol, they realise that peer pressure is nowhere near as powerful as they thought it would be.’