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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Medical validation:
July 08, 2022
A new pill, manufactured by the Swedish laboratory Myrkl, promises to eliminate toxins from drunken evenings in a few hours. Info or intox ? Update with Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
It’s an illness that we all know and which affects our tomorrows… A “hangover” is this state of generalized discomfort also known as “veisalgia”. A Swedish laboratory “Myrkl” now offers a pill capable of overcoming it.
A pill that breaks down alcohol in the gut
Concretely, the Myrkl tablet would break down the alcohol in the intestine before it reaches the liver. To work, it must be taken at least two hours before alcohol consumption. According to the Swedish firm, the pill would lead to “the elimination of 70% of the alcoholic substance 60 minutes after ingestion“.
The secret to this anti-hangover pill? It would contain probiotics (bacteria Bacillus Coagulans and Bacillus Subtilis) and an amino acid, L-Cysteine, which break down alcohol and transform it into water and carbon dioxide.
The drug would also contain vitamin B12, which would make you feel a little “fresher” the next day, according to the creators. They also state that all ingredients have been validated by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Not all hangover effects are removed
Before being marketed in the United Kingdom, the pill passed a battery of tests. The researchers found that during the first 60 minutes of the trial, people who took two Myrkl tablets before drinking two glasses of wine had a blood alcohol level of -70% compared to those who were given a dummy pill.
Another interesting fact: the drug did not eliminate the “euphoric” aspect felt.
Nevertheless, this pill would not be “magical” for all that. Not all hangover effects can be removed with this pill, the founders say, because other mechanisms are involved. Dehydration or hypoglycaemia due to alcohol (loss of sugar in the urine) would notably still be present.
No excuse to offset excesses
“Myrkl” should not, moreover, be consumed to counterbalance excesses.
“Myrkl helps break down alcohol quickly before it reaches the liver, but it is not suitable and does not aim to lessen the impact of excessive alcohol consumption“, can we read on the site.
In fact, the pill should not be an excuse to drink more alcohol.
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Results still to be confirmed
Finally, many experts believe that there is a lack of perspective on this remedy. It is not yet known how the pill works in sick people or how it interacts with food and/or medication.
For all these reasons, consumers should remain cautious about the potential effects of this pill… which, let’s remember, is not a drug.
“The effectiveness of this pill has only been demonstrated in a single study, which is based on only 24 volunteers… and only 14 participants could be analyzed. It is therefore very few. We must wait for the release other clinical trials on this subject before drawing any real conclusions”points out Dr. Kierzek.
Santé Publique France recommends not to exceed more than 10 standard alcoholic drinks per week and not more than 2 standard alcoholic drinks per day (approximately 20 grams of alcohol), as well as not to drink alcohol for at least two days in the week.
The best way to avoid a hangover is still to drink less and stay hydrated the next day…