ZBiotics is a probiotic drink specifically formulated to help prevent a hangover after a night of drinking. We know what you’re thinking: Can a probiotic really help to prevent those dreaded mornings after a fun night out?
We’re going to answer that question by diving into the ZBiotics formula. We’ll explain how the ingredients in this formula work while also sharing ZBiotics reviews from real customers to get their take on how well this product works after a night of drinking.
What is ZBiotics?
ZBiotics is a probiotic drink that can be taken before drinking alcohol to prevent a hangover the next morning.
Here’s how it works: When you drink, the liver breaks down alcohol (ethanol) into a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde before it is further metabolized into acetic acid, followed by excretion from the body.
Unfortunately, the human body didn’t evolve to handle breaking down lots of acetaldehyde, therefore it can build up in your gut. This buildup of acetaldehyde is responsible for the feelings associated with a hangover, including headache, nausea, fatigue, and a general feeling of malaise.
That’s where ZBiotics comes into the picture.
What Are The ZBiotics Ingredients?
There’s only one active ingredient in the ZBiotics formula, and that’s Bacillus subtilis ZB183, a type of probiotic.
Probiotics are naturally occurring in fermented foods, as well as residing in the human gut, where they contribute to digestive health and a balanced microbiome.
The brand took Bacillus subtilis, a natural probiotic found in foods like natto and kombucha, and leveraged this good bacteria by using homologous recombination to transfer the trait for acetaldehyde breakdown into a precise spot on the bacterial chromosome.
The result was ZB183 – a probiotic strain of B. subtilis that is identical in every way to the one humans already consume, but with one additional trait: the ability to break down acetaldehyde. The result? You feel better after drinking alcohol.
ZB183 has undergone laboratory testing (in vitro) to confirm its safety and functionality, however, we noticed that the brand did not publish any clinical trials for their product.
Does ZBiotics Work?
During our research on the chemistry of a hangover, we came across this article by McGill University that shares how there’s more to a hangover than just acetaldehyde.
In the article, the author shares that dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) both can contribute to feeling rough the morning after drinking.
The article further states that, “the greatest contributor to the hangover is methanol, another fermentation product found in alcoholic beverages, luckily in small amounts because methanol is highly toxic.”
Similar to ethanol, methanol undergoes metabolism by the same enzymes. The only difference is the formation of formaldehyde instead of acetaldehyde. Unfortunately, like acetaldehyde, formaldehyde can also contribute to the onset of hangover symptoms.
According to a publication in the journal Alcohol Health and Research World, distilled spirits such as brandies and whiskeys contain the highest concentrations of methanol.
Furthermore, an experimental study examined four subjects who consumed red wine containing 100 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of methanol. The study found that elevated blood levels of methanol persisted for several hours after ethanol was metabolized, which corresponded to the time course of hangover symptoms.
Interestingly, this is why using alcohol to combat a hangover in the morning (like a Bloody Mary, for example) actually helps reduce hangover symptoms. This is because ethanol competitively inhibits methanol metabolism, meaning the enzymes prefer to work on ethanol instead of methanol. Only when all the ethanol has been metabolized do the enzymes switch to methanol.
Therefore, having a drink the morning of a hangover then supplies ethanol for the enzymes to act upon, allowing the methanol to be excreted into the urine without being converted to formaldehyde.
The reason we are explaining the role of methanol and formaldehyde in a hangover is because this could be the reason why ZBiotics doesn’t work for some people.
The ZBiotics scientists genetically modified a probiotic to metabolize acetaldehyde, but not formaldehyde.
This means that while the ZBiotics probiotic drink helps to clear the buildup of acetaldehyde, there could still be methanol and formaldehyde in your system the following day, therefore, you may still experience hangover symptoms.
Plus, based on the ZBiotics reviews we read, it’s clear that this probiotic drink works for some people but not for everyone.
How to Use ZBiotics?
For best results, the brand recommends making ZBiotics your first drink of the night.
Where to Buy ZBiotics?
ZBiotics is sold on the brand’s website (zbiotics.com), as well as on Amazon.com.
How Much is ZBiotics?
On the brand’s website and on Amazon, ZBiotics costs $36 USD for a pack of 3 bottles (3 servings).
Our Verdict
Overall, we think ZBiotics probiotic drink could be worth trying if you’re someone who wants to alleviate the symptoms of a hangover, but keep in mind that a hangover is still possible since the probiotic does not break down formaldehyde.
Pros
- ZB183 has been shown to break down acetaldehyde in laboratory tests
- Many positive ZBiotics reviews
- 60 day money back guarantee
Cons
- Only works to clear acetaldehyde, not formaldehyde
- Some ZBiotics reviews mention that it didn’t work at all
- Expensive ($12/serving)
- No clinical trials
References:
McGill “The Chemistry of A Hangover”
Alcohol Health Res World. 1998; 22(1): 54–60.
Pharmacol Toxicol. 1987 Mar;60(3):217-20.
