Can probiotic supplements prevent hangovers?

The ads on podcasts and social media were tantalizing: over-the-counter probiotic supplements that could ward off the worst effects of a hangover if taken before drinking. “The more you drink, the more you’ll have to deal with the effects of other things besides acetaldehyde,” ZBiotics CEO Zack Abbott said via email when asked about Burke’s results. “That being said, for the vast majority of people, acetaldehyde is a major factor, and Pre-Alcohol therefore results in them feeling better the next day.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers ZBiotics and Myrkl to be dietary supplements or functional foods, not drugs, and thus doesn’t evaluate their health claims. “There is not a lot of ethanol and acetaldehyde in your large intestine to start with,” Zengler said, and “the vast majority of the bacteria in your gut already metabolize acetaldehyde for you, so just adding something more might not do the trick.” ZBiotics has funded studies demonstrating both the safety of their product and that their bacteria effectively broke down a significant amount of acetaldehyde in simulated gut conditions in a lab. “Currently, the only effective way to prevent a hangover is to consume alcohol in moderation.” Unpleasant as they are, hangovers serve a valuable purpose, said Dr. Daryl Davies, a clinical pharmacy professor and director of the Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory at USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.