World's first "hangover cure pill" launched in the UK​

A new "hangover-curing pill" has launched in the UK claiming to break down alcohol consumed before it hits the liver.

The pill, a new project from Swedish brand Myrkl, is said to break down 70% of alcohol in the body after just 60 minutes reducing the effects of a hangover.

At just £1 a pop, a pack of 30 pills currently costs £30 online, although two of these must be consumed for every “drinking session”, according to the company.

The anti-hangover pill should be taken 12 hours before alcohol consumption, as per the instructions, while the second should be taken an hour before. The pill is said to continue working for 12 hours.

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Myrkl claims to have created the “first product in history to break down alcohol effectively” after 30 years in the making. Since its inception in 1990 by Swedish scientist Johan de Faire, the pill has gone under thorough research and development.

However, the miracle pill could be too good to be true according to experts — and they aren’t convinced that it will eliminate the effects altogether.

Speaking to i Newspaper, principal investigator at the Division of Pharmacology at Utrecht University, Joris Verster, said: “There is no scientific evidence that this product is effective against hangovers. It has never been investigated in this context.”

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Branded as a “food supplement, " the pill contains vitamin B12, Bacillus Coagulans, Bacillus Subtilis and amino acid L-Cystein, all of which help break down alcohol into water and carbon dioxide.

Forensic pharmacologist Paul Skett who specialises in the metabolism of alcohol also told i Newspaper that “the research paper that Myrkl has published actually says you need to take the pill for at least a week before drinking, and it also explains that it reduces the absorption of alcohol by using a probiotic, which looks to be normal bacteria.

“Of course, this could reduce the severity of a hangover and I suppose it could work in that sense,” he said. “To actually clear alcohol from the body, you would need a coenzyme in the liver called NAD, and you need fructose to produce that."

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter