D-glyceric acid has been found to enhance alcohol metabolism and thereby prevent adverse effects of alcohol consumption. D-glyceric acid is administered concurrently with alcohol, to accelerate the elimination of the alcohol from the body. D-glyceric acid is converted into D-glyceraldehyde and further into glycerol in reactions catalysed by NADH-aldehyde dehydrogenase and NADH-alcohol dehydrogenase complexes, which are produced in excess during alcohol oxidation, in the cells of alcohol-metabolising tissues. In these reactions, the NADH complexes become NAD-aldehyde dehydrogenase and NAD-alcohol dehydrogenase complexes. These complexes in turn accelerate the oxidation of alcohol, which is paralleled by enhancement of acetaldehyde oxidation to metabolically harmless acetic acid. D-glyceric acid or its salt or ester is used for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical preparation for enhancing the metabolism of alcohol. A method of enhancing the metabolism of alcohol in a subject by administering said compounds an effective amount of D-glyceric acid or its salt or ester is disclosed. An oral or parenteral preparation comprising said compounds is also disclosed.