In the UK, a new anti-hangover supplement has recently gone on sale, by the Swedish company Myrkl marketed as "the pre-drinking pill that works."
The supplement comprises of two gut-friendly bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus coagulans made from fermented rice bran.
These bacteria naturally break down alcohol into water and carbon dioxide and the pill is said to break down up to 70% of alcohol after 60 minutes.
Myrkl's case is supported by one published academic study, testing 24 healthy young white adults given either Myrkl tablets or dummy pills for seven days.
They were then given alcohol based on their weight (between 50 and 90ml of spirits). Their blood alcohol level was measured for the next two hours.
Researchers found that within the first 60 minutes, the level of alcohol in the blood was 70% lower when using Myrkl compared with the placebo pill.
The study leaves many unanswered questions:
- Does the pill work in people who are not young, healthy and white?
- Does it work in people with gut or liver disease?
- Are there differences in the effect of the pill between men and women?
- What happens when food and alcohol are taken together?
- Do medications change the action of the pills?
