Methionine lowers circulating levels of acetaldehyde after ethanol ingestion

Methionine, administered to ethanol treated mice and rats, significantly reduced circulating acetaldehyde levels without altering circulating levels of ethanol. Hepatic levels of acetaldehyde were also lowered by methionine. Methionine was effective when given prior to or after the administration of ethanol, but the time course of the action of methionine suggested the necessity for metabolic transformation of this amino acid in order for the acetaldehyde-lowering effect to be evidenced. Studies with humans, given methionine doses of approximately one-tenth of those used with mice, indicated that methionine can also lower acetaldehyde in humans ingesting ethanol. Given the toxic characteristics of acetaldehyde, methionine may prove effective in reducing the damaging effects of ethanol ingestion.