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It sounds too good to be true, but scientists claim to have discovered a drug that reduces the harmful effects of binge drinking.

The compound reduces the loss of brain cells and the inflammation that results from bouts of heavy drinking.

In the long term heavy drinking can cause damage to the brain, triggering symptoms like poor memory.

The team of scientists at the University of Huddersfield believe the drug could also be used to treat Alzheimer's and other diseases that damage the brain.

Scientists have found the drug ethane-beta-sultam could be used to reduce the harmful effects of binge drinking. It was found to reduce the loss of brain cells and inflammation caused by bouts of heavy drinking

Health experts define binge drinking as consuming double the recommended amount of alcohol in one session.

It is recommended men should drink no more than three to four units a day - the equivalent of a pint and a half of four per cent beer.

And for women the limit is two to three units - the same as a 175ml glass of wine.

That means a woman who drinks two large glasses of wine - six units of alcohol - within an hour, is defined as a binge drinker.

Exploring ways of lessening the harmful affects of excessive drinking, the scientists focused on the effects of a compound, ethane-beta-sultam.

They gave the chemical to rats who had been put on a binge drinking regime.

The team noted a reduction in the loss of brain cells and inflammation in those rodents that received doses of ethane-beta-sultam. 

It is widely recognised heavy drinking on a regular basis can cause long-term damage. The harmful effects are particularly pronounced in teenagers, whose brains are still developing. 

The study found the effects of binge drinking was reduced if rats given the drug.

The drug is a taurine 'pro-drug' – a type of medication that easily enters the blood stream before it is processed by the body.

In the long term, binge drinking leads to symptoms such as poor memory and navigation (file photo)

Until now, one of the main obstacles of treating diseases of the brain is a difficulty in drugs reaching the brain.

This is because of the 'blood-brain barrier', a highly selective barrier that separates blood from the brain's extracellular fluid. It is the brain's natural defence mechanism.

But the researchers found ethane-beta-sultam was able to pass through to the brain cells.

Lead author Professor Page, of Huddersfield University, said: 'One of things that alcohol does is to destroy some of the brain cells which are important for navigation and orientation.

'But a combination of alcohol and our compound could overcome this damage.'

He explained that the brain protects itself using glial cells, which are increased when the brain is exposed to alcohol, such as through regular binge-drinking.

'But a combination of our ethane-beta-sultam given at the same time as the alcohol decreased these levels of glial cells,' he said.

Professor Page said his team have been working for 10 years to make this breakthrough.

In future, research will aim to identify a compound that performs even better than ethane-beta-sultam, he said.

There is a possibility that such compounds could help with the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia which also result from a loss of brain activity, he added.

He expects there to be a discussion of the ethical issues surrounding the prospect of a drug that masks the effects of binge drinking.

'But if you accept that alcohol abuse is going to continue, then it might be sensible for society to try and treat it in some way,' said Professor Page.

The study was published in the Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.