By Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times (TNS)
The ads on podcasts and social media were enticing: over-the-counter probiotic supplements that might ward off the worst effects of a hangover if taken before drinking.
As a bourbon reviewer who enjoys the taste of spirits but has all the time been vulnerable to hangovers, Eric Burke was intrigued. To test it, he ordered a couple of bottles of Pre-Alcohol, a probiotic drink from ZBiotics.
He drank the mixture of water, salt, flavoring and genetically modified bacteria. He then had a cocktail, a meal, and two bourbons and woke up the following morning feeling much brighter than he expected.
The next evening, encouraged by the success, he drank one other half-ounce bottle of pre-alcohol. He drank a bit of greater than he had the night before—a beer with dinner after which 4 glasses of bourbon.
This amount normally leaves him feeling sore and sluggish the following day.
That's exactly how he felt when he opened his eyes hours later.
“That was awkward,” said Burke, 48. “I woke up that morning and was like, 'Well, I'm not 21 anymore.' “
A hangover is a collection of physical and mental symptoms This is due to the inflammation and oxidative stress that alcohol causes in the human body.
One of the many factors contributing to next-day misery is the buildup of acetaldehyde, a chemical byproduct of the drinks' ethanol breakdown in the body. Acetaldehyde is a carcinogen that occurs primarily in nausea, stomach upset, sweating, and other physical symptoms associated with excessive consumption.
ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol and rival drug Myrkl from Swedish biotech company De Faire Medical AB both rely on live bacteria to process excess acetaldehyde. Other Researcher And Recreational drinker have also experimented with probiotics for similar purposes.
The hypothesis is that reducing the amount of acetaldehyde should also reduce the physical symptoms caused by the buildup.
“The more you drink, the more you have to deal with the effects of things other than acetaldehyde,” ZBiotics CEO Zack Abbott said by email when asked about Burke’s findings. “Still, acetaldehyde is a significant factor for the overwhelming majority of individuals, and pre-alcohol subsequently makes them feel higher (if not perfect) the following day.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers ZBiotics and Myrkl to be dietary supplements or functional foods rather than drugs and therefore does not evaluate their health claims. Microbiome experts warn that a probiotic supplement alone won't protect you from the worst effects of overindulgence.
Adding probiotics to your pre-party diet won't do you any harm, said Karsten Zengler, a microbiologist and professor of pediatrics and bioengineering at UC San Diego.
But it's also unlikely to have a significant impact on your well-being the next day because your gut is equipped with an army of bacteria capable of breaking down alcohol's byproducts, she said.
“There isn't a lot of ethanol and acetaldehyde in your colon to begin with,” Zengler said, and “the vast majority of bacteria in your gut already metabolize acetaldehyde for you, so simply adding a little more may not be enough.”
ZBiotics has funded studies demonstrating both the safety of their product and evidence that their bacteria effectively break down a significant amount of acetaldehyde under simulated intestinal conditions in a laboratory. As for the real impact of this collapse, Abbott pointed to an outside effect Paper from 2006 It found that rats given ethanol had fewer hangover-like symptoms the next day when acetaldehyde was removed.
Myrkl financed a small one study This showed that his product reduced blood alcohol levels in some participants. The subjects were instructed to do this Take the dietary supplement for one week before drinking instead of the single dose indicated on the package before the party. Myrkl did not respond to further questions after the study was made available.
The hard truth said Joris C. VersterPharmacology professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and founder of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group The consortium is that there is currently a scientifically validated way to prevent a hangover: drink less alcohol.
“Although there are many hangover products on the market, there is no convincing scientific evidence that these treatments are effective. Independent, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials with social drinkers are needed,” Verster said. “Currently, the only effective way to prevent a hangover is to consume alcohol in moderation.”
As unpleasant as a hangover is, it serves a valuable purpose, he said Dr. Daryl DaviesProfessor of Clinical Pharmacy and Director of the Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory on the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“What I tell people is that when you get a hangover, you drink too much,” Davies said. “It’s the body trying to tell you that something is wrong.”
Originally published:
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