Finnish researchers claim to have found how to recover from a drunken night out. The miracle solution would lie in a supplement of L-cysteine, an amino acid and antioxidant.
- The results showed that those who took a 1,200 mg dose of L-cysteine had little or no symptoms.
- L-cysteine would reduce the need to drink the next day.
- These conclusions must be put into perspective since the study was funded by a Finnish company that sells L-cysteine.
Dizziness, nausea, fatigue… If you have to drink alcohol in moderation, there are days after the evening that are more difficult to manage than others. Finnish researchers from the Universities of Helsinki and Finland may well have found the miracle solution to avoid having to suffer these bad effects of excessive alcohol consumption. They published their results on August 18 in theOxford Academic journal of Alcohol and Alcoholism.
More symptoms
The miracle cure announced by the researchers is a supplement of L-cysteine, an amino acid and antioxidant effective against chronic bronchitis. To reach this conclusion, the researchers gathered 19 people in a hotel conference room and invited them to drink alcoholic cocktails. The elixir in question is a mixture of cranberry juice and Kosenkorva, a Finnish alcohol. Each participant consumed 1.5g of alcohol per kilogram of body weight, or about eight or nine glasses of wine, for three hours. “Obviously there were people intoxicated, but no one was getting drunk”, reports Markus Metsälä, researcher at the University of Helsinki.
The day after this evening, each of the participants received a tablet containing a dose of L-cysteine or a placebo. The results showed that those who took a 1,200 mg dose of the supplement had little or no symptoms. For those who took half that dose, hangover-related stress and anxiety levels decreased. “L-cysteine would reduce the need to drink the next day with no or fewer hangover symptomswrite the researchers. Overall, these effects of L-cysteine are unique and appear to have a future in preventing or alleviating these harmful symptoms as well as reducing the risk of alcohol dependence..”
A study funded by a company that sells L-cysteine
This research confirms other studies that have shown that taking L-Cysteine as a dietary supplement helps the liver process excess alcohol in the digestive system. However, these conclusions must be put into perspective given that the study was funded by a Finnish company that sells L-cysteine. “It’ll probably help some people and others not so much. That said, not everyone is expected to start drinking heavily, partying until 4 a.m., and waking up fresh as a rose.”, quipped Markus Metsälä.
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