A study suggests that consuming krill oil before consuming alcohol could aid in preventing a hangover.
In a study conducted by Korean researchers, participants who took 1,000 mg of krill oil before consuming the equivalent of four quarts reported much lower levels of thirst and nausea than those who took a placebo.
They believe the antioxidant-rich characteristics of krill oil, which can be purchased at many health food stores, are responsible for its hangover-relieving benefits.
After a night of drinking, it may provide Brits with another choice to avoid pounding headaches and parched mouths.
This week in the United Kingdom, a new tablet promising to leave drinkers feeling refreshed after a night on the town sold out within hours of coming on sale.
Krill oil, which is also rich in omega-3 fats, is extracted from shrimp-like marine organisms.
It is sold as a dietary supplement in many pharmacies and health food stores in the United Kingdom for as little as 70 pence per 1000mg capsule.
It is believed to act by interfering with how the body breaks down alcohol, preventing the production of acetaldehyde.
Scientists hypothesize that acetaldehyde is partially responsible for the symptoms of a hangover.
Sejong University in Seoul evaluated the effects of krill oil on twenty-one men and women aged 20 to 55.
Thirty minutes before consuming alcohol, participants were given a shot of krill oil, a placebo, or a commercially available anti-hangover beverage containing ginseng berry extract.
They were subsequently given alcoholic beverages proportional to their body weight, with men receiving 0.78g of alcohol per kilogram and women 0.65g per kilogram.
This equates to male participants consuming eight units of alcohol, or the equivalent of four and a half pints of low-strength lager, in a single sitting, and female participants consuming 5.7 units or little under three standard glasses of wine.
The NHS recommends that people do not consume more than 14 units of alcohol each week.
Throughout the trial, the participants were asked to rate ten hangover symptoms: thirst, drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, helplessness, diarrhea, attentional disorders, susceptibility, and depression.
First, they were asked about their symptoms 30 minutes after consuming the beverages, then one hour later, and then every hour thereafter until five hours had gone.
The participants were asked to assess each hangover symptom on a scale from one to five, with one indicating essentially little impact and five indicating extreme severity.
At the same time, blood and breath tests were performed.
Six of the initial 21 subjects withdrew after consuming the alcoholic beverage, leaving 15 for analysis.
Scientists did not explain why participants withdrew.
Volunteers administered krill oil reported significantly reduced levels of nausea and thirst compared to those given a placebo.
Half an hour after drinking, those who consumed Krill oil reported a score of one for nausea, whereas the placebo group reported a score of 1.47.
People who consumed krill oil initially reported small levels of thirst (1.2), but after three hours, this decreased to a level of one.
In comparison, the placebo group’s thirst score peaked at 1.7 thirty minutes in and then remained stable at 1.6 until the finish.
The effects of krill oil on nausea and thirst mirrored those of a commercial hangover remedy.
However, krill oil had little effect on the intensity of the remaining hangover symptoms.
Blood and breath alcohol testing revealed that those who used krill oil also had significantly reduced blood and breath alcohol levels.
Soon-Mi Shim, an expert in food science and biotechnology and the study’s lead author, stated that the findings demonstrate the potential of krill oil as a hangover remedy.
She said, “The results of the current study show that krill oil could be employed as a possible anti-hangover ingredient that reduces breath and blood alcohol levels as well as other hangover symptoms by its antioxidant ability.”
The group reported its findings in the Journal of Functional Foods.
The minimal number of participants is one of the study’s limitations.
Antioxidants are chemical substances found in a range of foods that neutralize molecules known as free radicals that harm DNA, cell membranes, and other cellular components, including those found in alcohol.
One recent study, published in May, indicated that eating a small bowl of antioxidant-rich cranberries daily could boost memory and protect against dementia. Cranberries are present in a range of dishes and are said to have a lot of health advantages.
This week, a drug to treat hangovers was released in the United Kingdom and quickly sold out, prompting the release of the most recent study days later.
The drug, called Myrkl, which must be taken before consuming alcohol, is effective for up to 12 hours.
It breaks down alcohol in the digestive tract before it reaches the liver, but it doesn’t prevent you from getting intoxicated.
Those who ingested two tablets and drank two glasses of wine had 70 percent less alcohol in their blood an hour later compared to those who did not take it.
The supplement, which claims to increase energy and immunity, costs £30 for a pack of thirty.
On its first day of sale in the United Kingdom, however, all six months’ worth of pills were sold out.
Hangover-busting The £1 pill sells out on its first day of release.
A £1 tablet that alleviates hangovers has sold out in the United Kingdom just one day after its release.
Myrkl, which must be taken before drinking, promises to leave you feeling refreshed after a big night out.
The supplement degrades alcohol in the intestines before it reaches the liver, with the hopes of reducing intoxication.
Customers desperate to obtain the pill were informed that they could only order one box of 30 for £30.
Despite efforts to ration Myrkl, the company claims to have sold six months’ worth of inventory in less than 24 hours.
Myrkl’s chief executive officer, Hkan Magnusson, stated, “We are working as quickly as possible to restore the website’s ability to accept orders.”
In the next few days, the company expects to have additional inventory available for resale. Myrkl isn’t being sold in supermarkets.
Mr. Magnusson characterized the dietary supplement as a “game-changing product” that will leave consumers “feeling their best the following day.” Also claimed to increase energy and immunity.
