Japanese cheese claims to restore liver function
Koiwai Kirin Plus-I Cheese Cubes are fortified with amino acid ornithine, which producer Koiwai Dairy Products claims can help restore liver function after drinking alcohol.
A 2010 literature review by Sikorska et al. suggests that L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) helps reduce high blood ammonia existing as a clinical complication of cirrhosis.
The cheese comes in a ginger and soy sauce flavor, and Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director, Datamonitor Consumer, said of the November launch that it was unusual to see a snack designed for eating with alcohol that also claimed alcohol recovery benefits.
“Ornithine is rarely used to fortify foods or drinks outside of Japan,” he said.
(Photo: Dan Keys/Flickr)