What to take before drinking: an evidence-first plan

Eat a real meal first

This is the most useful thing you can take before drinking. Alcohol is absorbed fastest from an empty stomach. Food, especially a meal with protein, fat and fiber, slows the rate at which alcohol moves from the stomach into the small intestine, where most of it is absorbed. That lowers how high and how fast blood alcohol peaks for the same number of drinks.

Food does not cancel alcohol. You will still absorb what you drink; it just arrives more gradually.

Sources: How the body metabolizes alcohol

Plan your water, your pace and your ride

Hangover risk rises with the amount you drink, so the decisions you make before the first drink matter most. Set a number, alternate each drink with water, and book the ride home before you go out. These are free, and they work for everyone.

• Have a glass of water before you start, and one with every drink.
• Choose lower-strength drinks and slow the pace.
• Decide how you are getting home before the first drink.
• Keep the next morning light if you can.

Sources: Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety

Pre-alcohol supplements and drinks: what they are

"Pre-alcohol" products fall into a few groups, and their labels do not all say to take them before drinking. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol is a probiotic drink with an engineered Bacillus subtilis strain, taken before alcohol. DHM capsules have their own timing: Cheers Restore is directed for after the last drink or before bed. Electrolyte drinks focus on fluid. Always follow the label of the exact product you buy, and do not borrow another brand's instructions.

Joyrise is not a pre-drink product. The Joyrise capsule label says to take 3 capsules while consuming alcohol, or before bed, and not to exceed 3 servings (9 capsules) per day.

Sources: ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol: probiotic drink and directions; Cheers Restore: ingredients, directions and price; Joyrise capsules: product page and current label

Do pre-alcohol supplements work?

The honest answer is that the evidence is thin across the whole category. A 2005 BMJ systematic review found no compelling evidence that any intervention prevents or treats hangover, and concluded that abstinence or moderation is the most effective approach. A 2022 review of 21 placebo-controlled trials rated all of the efficacy evidence very low quality.

Some ingredients have interesting early research. ZBiotics has published lab work on acetaldehyde breakdown, and DHM has rat and cell studies of alcohol-related signaling. Neither is the same as proof that a product stops a hangover in people. See does ZBiotics work for one example, and our guide to the evidence and limits of supplements that help with hangovers for the rest of the category.

Sources: Pittler et al., 2005: Interventions for preventing or treating hangover; Roberts et al., 2022: Pharmacologically active hangover interventions; Hassan-Casarez et al., 2024: Engineering a probiotic B. subtilis for acetaldehyde removal; Shen et al., 2012: DHM and alcohol-related signaling

What not to take before drinking

Do not take pain relievers "just in case" before a night out. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and alcohol both put demands on the liver, and alcohol use affects the risk of acetaminophen liver injury. Aspirin and ibuprofen combined with alcohol raise the risk of stomach bleeding. If you take any medicine regularly, ask a pharmacist how alcohol interacts with it. Our guide to Advil or Tylenol for a hangover explains the trade-offs.

Sources: Bunchorntavakul & Reddy, 2013: Acetaminophen-related hepatotoxicity; Kaufman et al., 1999: Aspirin, ibuprofen, alcohol and stomach bleeding; Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety

Where Joyrise fits

If you use Joyrise, plan it into the night by its label, not as a pre-drink shot. 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; Dihydromyricetin: evidence and safety context