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Hangover prevention pill goes on sale in the UK today
Who else needs one of these?
A pill that claims to prevent hangovers has gone on sale in the UK today for the first time.
The people behind the hangover prevention pill say it will leave drinkers feeling fresh after a night out.
The Myrkl supplement works by rapidly breaking down alcohol in the gut before it manages to reach the liver – they continue to break booze down for up to 12 hours.
Myrkl
In order for it to work most effectively, you need to take two pills 30 minutes before you start boozing, the company says.
According to research carried out by the manufacturer, as well as Swedish pharmaceutical firm De Faire Medical and the Pfützner Science & Health Institute, taking the tablets reduces alcohol concentration by half within 30 minutes of drinking – this rises to 70% after an hour.
While you won’t be able to buy them in pharmacies, you can get them online at the Myrkl website, with a packet of 30 capsules setting you back £30.
Myrkl
CEO at Myrkl, Håkan Magnusson, has called the pill a ‘game changing product’, but did stress that it would work better for ‘moderate drinkers’ rather than anyone looking to get really drunk.
He said: “Marking the first time in history that a consumer product is demonstrated to effectively and rapidly break down alcohol, we are very excited to be launching this ground-breaking product in the UK and in most European markets.
“Moderate social drinking is a huge part of British culture, with the majority of British people heading out each week to enjoy a few drinks together.”
Meanwhile, Dr Dawn Harper said anyone who does take the pill will still get ‘some absorption and some of that jolliness that you experience when drinking alcohol’.
She added: “If you want to go out and get drunk, Myrkl would simply mean that it would take you a lot longer and cost you a lot more. Where I see Myrkl could be relevant is for the huge number of moderate drinkers in the UK.”
The main reason we get hangovers is ethanol, which is broken down in the liver and causes dehydration, and can lead to the dizziness, headaches and thirst we associate with the morning after a heavy night out.
Myrkl’s pills contain special bacteria and amino acids which work to break down alcohol into water and carbon dioxide.
This means smaller amounts of ethanol are broken down in the liver – the tablets also contain vitamin B12 to help boost energy levels.
