WE often accept hangovers as part and parcel of a fun night out.
A pounding headache, violent sickness and crippling anxiety are just some of the horrible costs faced in the morning after the night before.
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For decades, scientists and drinkers alike have searched high and low for the perfect remedy to ease the inevitable agony that comes after one tipple too many.
But what if a hangover cure really existed?
Safety Shot is the latest in a slew of products that claim to accelerate the breakdown of alcohol and replenish essential nutrients that help the body recover.
A new study, conducted by the Center for Applied Health Sciences in the US, has shown the bev can get to work in as little as 30 minutes.
However, some experts are sceptical that the drink can effectively rid the body of booze in such a short space of time – and doing so could bring with it some nasty side effects.
Launched in the US before Christmas, cans of the stuff almost immediately sold out.
Further launches are planned in the UK later this year, along with new on-the-go powder stick packs.
According to the back of the can, the drink contains a blend of vitamins, minerals and botanical ingredients which the manufacturer says can help you bounce back faster by supporting mental clarity, hydration and overall well-being.
Creators of the drink now claim it also reduces blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by supporting the metabolism of alcohol.
BAC is the amount of alcohol in your blood, measured in percentage.
Levels can range from 0 per cent (no alcohol) to over 0.4 per cent (a potentially fatal level).
It comes after the company announced results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which examined the impacts of alcohol before and after consuming its product.
Researchers tested the blood alcohol levels of participants post booze up every 30 minutes along with breathalyser activity.
Within this time, after consuming the product, participants experienced a significant drop in BAC.
The same group also reported that they felt much better soon after ingesting it.
They had reduced fatigue, increased energy levels and improvements in concentration.
PREVENTION RATHER THAN A CURE
According to Sam Royle, a researcher at the University of Salford and a member of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group, said the evidence supporting the hangover-reducing effects of the ingredients listed on the can is “mixed, at best.”
“The mechanisms underlying hangovers are not fully understood, and whilst the product does include some ingredients that may be supposed to reduce inflammation or oxidative stress, which are thought to play a role in hangover symptomology, there are no actual, validated, hangover cures,” he told The Sun.
“Even if the product does increase the metabolism of alcohol, it may create undesirable effects based on the products of that metabolism, like acetate.”
Acetate is a toxic substance the body makes when it breaks down alcohol, it can trigger what is sometimes known as a ‘hangover headache’.
He explained that the drink could be more effective as a preventative measure rather than a ‘cure’.
In other words, it should be consumed before and during your drinking session, rather than afterwards.
“Hangover occurs when blood alcohol concentrations are low (approaching or already 0g per cent), so reducing blood alcohol during hangover would be unlikely to help,” he said.
MIGHT EASE YOUR PAIN
Lauren Johnson Reynolds, a registered nutritional therapist, was doubtful about the drink’s ability to reduce BAC.
However, she acknowledged that some of the listed ingredients could help alleviate boozer-related discomfort.
“It contains a significant amount of caffeine and electrolytes, which can help you feel better quickly,” she told The Sun.
Nonetheless, she added that it was “hard to see” how the drink could eliminate alcohol from the body in such a short period.
“Liver health is a long-term thing and its capacity to detoxify and metabolize is going to be based on a lot more than just drinking something and then those ingredients acting that quickly,” she said,
“I would be sceptical about the blood alcohol content being reduced that quickly, but I can see how it might make a person feel better,” she added.
RISKS OF DRINKING TOO MUCH
The NHS advises both men and women to not exceed 14 units of booze a week on a regular basis.
You should also be spreading your drinking over three or more days if you regularly have as much as 14 units a week.
For reference, 14 units is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.
Here’s a guide on how many units are in your favourite tipple:
- Single small shot of spirits = 1 unit
- Small glass of red, white or rosé wine = 1.5 units
- Bottle of lager, beer or cider = 1.7 units
- Can of lager, beer or cider = 2.4 units
- Pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider = 2 units
- Standard glass of red, white or rosé wine = 2.1 units
- Pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider = 3 units
- Large glass of red, white or rosé wine = 3 units
Drinking more than this can increase the risk of a range of deadly illnesses, including fatty liver disease, heart disease and cancer.
Recent research revealed that booze-dependent teens are at greater risk of experiencing depression and other mental health conditions by the time they’re 24.
Meanwhile, these are 17 signs you’re a functioning alcoholic.
Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for about three million deaths worldwide each year.
The UK recorded 10,048 alcohol-related deaths in 2022 – accounting for 16.6 per 100,000 people – the highest number on record till that point, according to census data.
What causes a hangover?
The main reason people get hangovers is drinking too much alcohol, and there are a number of ways this is caused.
Booze is a diuretic, which causes increased passing of urine, which can lead to a dry mouth, headache, fatigue, and nausea.
Ethanol in alcohol can cause damage and irritation to cells and the toxin acetaldehyde can form when alcohol is broken down in the liver.
Alcohol also increases acid production in the stomach, which can irritate the stomach lining and cause a delay in the stomach emptying, which can cause stomach pain and vomiting.
