THE ESSENTIAL
- Probiotics like Pre-Alcohol and Myrkl promise to reduce the effects of hangovers by targeting acetaldehyde, a toxic molecule derived from alcohol metabolism.
- But experts remain skeptical. Alcohol is mainly metabolized in the liver, limiting the effect of active probiotics in the intestine.
- Although these supplements are safe, their effectiveness lacks solid scientific evidence. For researchers, the only reliable method to avoid a hangover is to drink in moderation.
Social networks are full of advertisements for probiotic food supplements presented as the miracle solution against hangovers. Among them, “Pre-Alcohol” from ZBiotics and “Myrkl”, a Swedish competing product, rely on bacteria from the intestinal microbiota to reduce the adverse effects of alcohol. But do these supplements really live up to their promises?
Probiotics against acetaldehyde?
Eric Burke, American columnist and bourbon lover, tested these products, we can read in an article in the Los Angeles Times. On his first evening, he consumed a dose of Pre-Alcohol before drinking several cocktails and noticed waking up more pleasant than expected. Encouraged, he repeats the experience the next day with a larger quantity of alcohol. But this time, the effects are less convincing—he wakes up tired and sore, as usual.
Probiotics like those from ZBiotics target acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of ethanol metabolism. This molecule is responsible for many hangover symptoms: nausea, headaches, fatigue… The idea is simple: by increasing the bacteria capable of breaking down acetaldehyde in the intestine, the symptoms should improve. .
Yet, as Karsten Zengler, a microbiologist at the University of California, San Diego, explains, alcohol is primarily metabolized in the liver, where the enzyme “alcohol dehydrogenase” converts ethanol into acetaldehyde. Only a small part reaches the intestine, where the probiotics come into play. As a result, the overall effect on symptoms remains limited.
Scientific evidence still insufficient
Research on these products shows that bacteria can reduce acetaldehyde under simulated laboratory conditions. But rigorous clinical studies, involving double-blind and placebo-controlled trials, are still lacking to confirm their effectiveness in humans.
For Daryl Davies, an expert on alcohol and its effects at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy, hangovers play a useful role: “It’s the body’s warning signal that you’ve had too much to drink.” And the only scientifically validated way to prevent it “remain to consume less alcohol”recalls Joris C. Verster, professor of pharmacology in the Netherlands.
