Probiotics for a hangover: what the studies measured

What a probiotic is, and why the name on the label matters

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of NIH, describes probiotics as live microorganisms intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. They show up in yogurt and other fermented foods, in dietary supplements, and in products that are not supplements. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the bacterial groups used most often. Some products use yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii.

NCCIH states that different types of probiotics may have different effects. A finding for one kind of Lactobacillus does not automatically apply to another Lactobacillus, or to a Bifidobacterium product. The alcohol studies below belong only to the preparations that were tested.

Many probiotics are sold as dietary supplements, which do not need FDA approval before marketing. A product sold as a drug to treat a disease has to be shown safe and effective for that use and approved first. NCCIH's consumer page reviews several health conditions. It does not mention alcohol or hangovers.

Sources: Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety

What a hangover involves, in the part that these trials touch

NIAAA describes a hangover as symptoms after drinking too much, including fatigue, headache, and nausea. Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, so you lose more fluid, and that mild dehydration can add thirst and headache. Metabolism, primarily in the liver, creates acetaldehyde, which NIAAA calls a toxic, short-lived byproduct. The pathway is on our alcohol metabolism page.

NIAAA says there is no cure for a hangover other than time. Coffee, a shower, or another morning drink do not cure one. On electrolyte drinks, research has not found a correlation between electrolyte disruption and hangover severity, or an impact of added electrolytes on severity. That topic stays on electrolytes for a hangover. Fixes that do not clear alcohol are on hangover cure myths.

Sources: Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety

A Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium mixture: blood tests and hangover scores

Jung and colleagues ran a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, published in Nutrients in 2021. They enrolled 27 people with wild-type ALDH2 (ALDH2*1/*1) and 27 heterozygotes (ALDH2*2/*1). Each took Duolac ProAP4, a Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium mixture, or placebo for 15 days, then switched. After an alcohol test, they measured blood alcohol and acetaldehyde.

Those blood levels were significantly lower with the probiotic in heterozygotes only, not in the wild-type group. Hangover scores showed no marked improvement. Safety measurements showed no clinically significant changes. The paper ties any blood-level effect to the ALDH2 variant. Some authors list affiliations with Cell Biotech Co., Ltd. One 15-day mixture is not a result for probiotics as a class, and it is not a reason to drive.

Sources: Jung et al., 2021: A Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium mixture, alcohol, and acetaldehyde

An LGG fermented milk: acetaldehyde and flushing, not hangover scores

Trachootham and colleagues published a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial in Food & Function in 2021. Ten wild-type men and ten heterozygous ALDH2 men in Thailand drank 150 mL of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG fermented milk, about 100 million CFU per milliliter, or a lactic-acidified milk placebo, then beer at 0.4 g ethanol per kilogram. The other drink was tested a week later.

Blood and salivary acetaldehyde, as area under the curve, were lower after the LGG milk in both groups. The authors reported a stronger salivary response in heterozygotes. The results text ties shorter flushing to that heterozygous group, and the conclusion states shorter flushing for both ALDH2 patterns in this study. The paper does not report hangover scores. This milk is not a different strain in a capsule.

Sources: Trachootham et al., 2021: LGG fermented milk, acetaldehyde, and flushing; Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety

What the two trials do not let you claim

ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol is a separate product. Read does ZBiotics work, then Joyrise vs ZBiotics and Cheers vs ZBiotics. Before a night out, start with what to take before drinking: a meal, a pace, water, and a way home. A study dose is not directions for a different bottle.

NCCIH says probiotics have a long history of apparently safe use, particularly in healthy people, and that few studies have looked at safety in detail. Harm is a greater risk in severe illness or with a compromised immune system. Severe infections, including fatal ones, have been reported in premature infants given probiotics, and the FDA has warned clinicians. Some products have contained organisms other than the ones on the label. If you are pregnant, nursing, immunocompromised, seriously ill, or taking medication, ask a clinician first.

• Match the strain, the form, and the dose to the study before you repeat the study's result.
• A change in acetaldehyde is not the same endpoint as a hangover score.
• NIAAA's position still stands: time is what clears a hangover.
• Confusion, vomiting while barely responsive, slow or irregular breathing, or a person you cannot wake: call 911. That is alcohol poisoning, not a hangover.

Sources: Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety; Jung et al., 2021: A Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium mixture, alcohol, and acetaldehyde; Trachootham et al., 2021: LGG fermented milk, acetaldehyde, and flushing; Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety; Understanding the dangers of alcohol overdose

Where Joyrise fits, and where it does not

Joyrise is not a probiotic, and these trials are not its directions. Joyrise is an Alcohol Metabolizing Aid: a DHM supplement built around dihydromyricetin. The capsule label says to take 3 capsules while consuming alcohol, or before bed. Do not exceed 3 servings (9 capsules) per day. Much of the alcohol-related DHM evidence is preclinical, and Joyrise does not lower BAC, reverse impairment, or make driving safe. Read the full directions and warnings on our Alcohol Metabolizing Aid capsules page before you buy.

Sources: Joyrise capsules: product page and current label; Shen et al., 2012: DHM and alcohol-related signaling