Another hangover cure? Krill oil supplements can treat dreaded nausea and thirst the next day

Drinking some krill oil before drinking can help you beat a hangover, according to a study.

Korean scientists found that people who took 1,000 mg of krill oil before drinking the equivalent of four pints reported significantly lower symptoms of dehydration and nausea, or hangover, than those who took a placebo.

They believe the antioxidant-rich properties of krill oil, which can be found in many health food stores, underlie its hangover-healing power.

It may be another option for Brits who want to avoid throbbing headaches and dry mouth after drinking overnight.

It’s a new pill that promises to keep drinkers fresh after a night of selling out within hours of going on sale in the UK this week.

Also high in omega-3 fats, krill oil is made by tiny shrimp-like animals that live in the ocean.

It is available as a health supplement in most UK pharmacies and health food stores and costs just 70p per capsule for 1000mg high-strength doses.

It is thought to work by disrupting the way alcohol is broken down in the body, preventing it from producing acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde is the byproduct that scientists believe is partially responsible for hangover symptoms.

Researchers from Sejong University in Seoul tested the effects of krill oil on 21 men and women between the ages of 20 and 55.

Participants were given a commercially available hangover drink containing a dose of krill oil, a placebo, or ginseng berry extract 30 minutes before drinking.

Alcoholic beverages were then administered in proportion to their body weight, with men taking 0.78 g per kilogram and women 0.65 g per kilogram.

This roughly means that male participants drank about eight units of alcohol in one sitting, equivalent to four and a half liters of low-density beer, and 5.7 units for women, just under three standard glasses of wine.

For context, the NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

Participants were asked to rate 10 hangover symptoms during the experiment: thirst, sleepiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, impotence, diarrhea, inattention, sensitivity, and depression.

They were examined for symptoms 30 minutes after the drinks were consumed, then one hour later, and then every hour until five hours had passed.

Participants were asked to rate each hangover symptom from one to five, with one nearly unaffected and five very severe.

Blood and breath tests were also performed.

Six of the 21 participants who started the experiment withdrew after drinking alcohol, leaving the 15 on which the results were based.

Scientists did not explain why people were withdrawing.

Volunteers treated with krill oil reported significantly lower levels of nausea and thirst than those treated with placebo.

Krill oil consumers reported a score for nausea, while the placebo group scored 1.47 half an hour after drinking it.

In terms of thirst, those taking krill oil initially reported mild thirst (1,2), but this dropped to one after three hours.

In contrast, the placebo group’s thirst score peaked at 1.7 for 30 minutes and then remained at 1.6 until the end.

The results of krill oil for nausea and thirst were comparable to commercially available hangover cure.

But krill oil did not reduce the severity of other hangover symptoms.

Blood and breath alcohol test results showed that krill oil users also had significantly lower alcohol levels in their systems.

Lead author Professor Soon-Mi Shim, an expert in nutritional science and biotechnology, said the findings highlight the potential of krill oil as a hangover supplement.

“The results of the current study suggest that krill oil, through its antioxidant capacity, could be used as a potential anti-hangover ingredient that reduces breath and blood alcohol levels and other hangover symptoms,” he said.

The team published the results in the Journal of Functional Foods †

A limitation of the study is the small number of participants.

Antioxidants are chemical compounds found in various foods that counteract molecules called free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of cells such as alcohol.

They have a number of purported health benefits found in a variety of foods, with a recent study published in May revealing that eating a small bowl of antioxidant-rich cranberries a day can improve memory and prevent dementia.

The latest study comes just days after a hangover cure launched in the UK this week, before it quickly sold out.

A pill called Myrkl, which must be taken before drinking, lasts for up to 12 hours.

It breaks down alcohol in the gut before it reaches the liver, but it doesn’t prevent you from getting drunk.

Evidence showed that people who took two pills and drank two glasses of wine had 70 percent less blood alcohol an hour later than those who did not.

The supplement, which also claims to boost energy and immunity, costs £30 for a pack of 30.

However, the pill was out of stock for six months on its first day on sale in the UK.

DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? 10 QUESTIONS THAT SHOW YOUR RISK

A common screening tool used by healthcare professionals are the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests (AUDIT). The 10-question test was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is considered the gold standard for determining if someone has problems with alcohol abuse.

Test reproduced here with permission from WHO.

To complete it, answer each question and write down the corresponding score.

YOUR SCORE:

0-7: You fall into the responsible drinking group and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.

more than 8: Mention harmful or dangerous consumption.

8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you run the risk of having problems with your health in general and with your job and relationships. Consider reducing (see below for tips).

16-19: Increased risk of alcohol complications. It can be difficult to cut on your own at this level as you may be addicted, so you may need the help of a GP and/or counselor.

20 years and older: Possible addiction. Your alcohol consumption is already causing problems and you could very well become addicted. You should definitely consider quitting gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help in determining your addiction and the safest way to quit drinking.

Severe addiction may require doctor-assisted abstinence or detoxification in a hospital or specialist clinic. This is because of the possibility of serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms that require specialist treatment within the first 48 hours.