One of the most common requests I have received by those who had enough free time to sit through my 30 minute conversation with Charlie Rose on American tv last month is "What was that thing you said you took to lessen the harmful effects of alcohol?" 

Funny that.

Anyway, the answer is milk thistle, much taken during this week of crazy Burgundy 2005 tastings. If you want to know more, you might like a short cut to this article on the subject  Milk thistle - the drinker's friend that I published on this site back in 2002, way back when Edmund Penning-Rowsell was still alive and hosting his great first growth dinners. Those were the days...