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For the liver, one of the most damaging side effects of heavy drinking is the buildup of fatty deposits. These tiny pockets of fat, when broken down by the body, release “free radicals” that damage liver cells.

These “free radicals” – highly reactive chemical compounds – could be neutralized using an antioxidant tested recently in experiments by researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University of Alabama and England’s Cambridge University.

The experiments, which used cells from lab rats, appear to block the radicals and prevent them from causing harm. In humans, this cell damage can eventually lead to cirrhosis, a potentially fatal liver condition. The researchers’ findings were published in a recent issue of Hepatology.

They say other experiments have shown the enzyme (dubbed “MitoQ”) also prevents liver damage in Hepatitis C patients.

According to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control last year, chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis) was the 12th leading cause of death in America in 2007 below (in ascending order) suicide, septicemia, kidney disease, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, accidental injuries, chronic respiratory diseases, strokes, cancer and heart disease.

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