'I put Myrkl's anti-hangover pill to the test – here's my honest review'
Party season is officially in full swing. I’m talking about the time of year when it’s commonplace to say: “Why not, it’s nearly Christmas!” as a get-out-of-jail-free-card for a few glasses of fizz on a Monday afternoon or a Bailey’s at 11am with your mince pie.
Treading the line between “you only live once” and “you have to get up tomorrow morning and behave like a functioning member of society” can be tricky. Letting your hair down always seems like a great idea at the time, but having to drag your hungover body out of bed a mere four hours after you got into it is, well, grim. You take some aspirin, fight the urge to cry and attempt to get through the day, all while questioning your life choices and vowing never to drink again.
(Can we take a moment at this point to say that we should all be drinking in moderation and sticking to the government-recommended alcohol guidelines. Just want to put that there before we go on.)
When it comes to hangover cures, there are plenty of promised remedies out there, ranging from the reasonable – a Coke and bacon butty – to the questionable – ingesting raw eggs or tucking lemon wedges under your armpits – but, let’s face it, nothing really works other than time and a good night's sleep.
Now, however, wellness brands have spotted a gap in the market and are offering more sophisticated remedies, in the form of anti-hangover pills, which they claim will stop your dreaded hangover in its tracks. I was intrigued to see if they lived up to their claims. So, when I was offered the opportunity to trial Myrkl, one of the leading anti-hangover products on the market, I jumped at the chance. In the name of science, obviously.
What is Myrkl?
Food Supplement (30 Capsules)
Myrkl, which is pronounced ‘miracle’ not ‘my-irrrr-kle’, is a supplement for those “who want to enjoy socialising in the evening and wake up feeling refreshed the next morning”, according to the brand. You take two capsules at least two hours before your meal, ahead of a night out, and you’re good to go.
What’s in the tablets, you ask? There isn’t a lot of information on the ingredients on the Myrkl website itself – it simply states that the brand has a patented formula, which “contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, helps to support the immune system and contributes to normal energy levels”. It goes on to say: “As Myrkl is not a medicated product, we are unfortunately restricted about how much we can say on our website."
You can, however, learn more if you visit the website of Swedish pharmaceutical firm, De Fair Medical, the company that's spent over three decades researching and developing the pill, and claims it can break down 70% of alcohol consumed within just 60 minutes.
Packed with gut-loving bacteria, AB001, plus a healthy dose of L-cysteine and vitamin B12, Myrkl is best described as a pre-drinking supplement.
De Fair Medical stresses the importance of “sensible drinking”, noting that the product is designed for “responsible adults who want to enjoy socialising without having to compromise the next day.” Put simply, it’s not an excuse to drink in excess.
Do anti-hangover pills really work?
Anti-hangover pills are becoming increasingly popular, but can they really negate the effects of drinking too much, and are they a good idea? We asked Dr Sham Singh, a health expert (MD) at the WINIT Clinic, to analyse the ingredients in the pill and share his thoughts.
“The formulation of Myrkl does include several scientifically-backed ingredients that could support its claims to some extent,” he says. “This includes vitamin B12, which can help reduce tiredness and fatigue by supporting energy metabolism and red blood cell production.”
Dr Singh also notes the inclusion of L-Cysteine, a naturally-occurring amino acid. “L-Cysteine plays a vital role in the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps the liver process and neutralise toxins, including acetaldehyde, the byproduct of alcohol metabolism that contributes to hangover symptoms,” he explains.
“The addition of probiotic strains Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus coagulans may support gut health, which is often disrupted by alcohol,” he adds. “Probiotics are beneficial for maintaining a balanced gut microbiome, so Myrkl could indirectly help ease certain gastrointestinal symptoms that accompany hangovers.”
Yet, despite the science-backed ingredients, Dr Singh does have some doubts, telling us: “The efficacy of food supplements depends heavily on bioavailability – how well the body absorbs and utilises different ingredients – which can vary greatly from person to person.”
He also offers an important reminder: “No supplement can fully negate the effects of alcohol, particularly the dehydration and sleep disruption that contribute to hangover symptoms.
“Myrkl should be viewed as a complementary measure rather than a solution. As always, moderate drinking, hydration, and proper nutrition remain the most reliable ways to prevent hangovers.”
The experiment
Full disclosure, I’m Myrkl’s perfect client. I’m not a big drinker and rarely get ‘drunk’ drunk, plus I never mix my ethanols. Still, I always get a headache, feel groggy and generally a bit rubbish the day after, so I was intrigued to see if the so-called anti-hangover pill would actually make a difference.
To see how effective it was, I did one weekend of socialising without Myrkl and one where I drank a similar amount, but took the capsules two hours before my evening meal and going out.
My weekends consisted of Thursday (the new Friday), Friday (the old Friday) and Saturday (still Saturday) nights. I had three generous double vodka and tonics each night. As I’m famously antisocial, I embarked on the experiment from the confines of my home. Here's what I thought.
My Myrkl review
Weekend one
During my Myrkl-free weekend of drinking, I woke up on each of the three mornings, as predicted, with a category seven headache. A couple of painkillers downgraded these to a category three, but the general grogginess didn’t dissipate until Monday morning. It wasn’t fun.
Weekend two
And now to try Myrkl. Astonishingly, I woke up on all three mornings feeling fresh (ish, I am 53 after all) and most importantly, totally headache free! I don’t mean a little better than usual, I mean no symptoms from the night before at all.
I was only going to do the test over a two-week period, but ever sceptical, I repeated the experiment over the next two weekends and the results were pretty much the same. I was a little heady on one of the mornings, but, in hindsight, I don't think I'd eaten enough that day.
There's still some debate when it comes to the exact cause of those hangover feelings, and whether it’s down to dehydration, inflammation, a lack of deep sleep or a mix of all of the above. Symptoms can vary wildly from person to person too, so I would guess these little gems won't work the same for everyone. Plus, it will probably depend on how much you drink. Still, with a 30- day money back guarantee, Myrkl could be worth a try.
My final verdict on the anti-hangover pill
There’s no doubt that, for me, Myrkl definitely worked. It prevented me from having the hangovers I’m used to. It’s not something I’ll be reaching for frequently, but I will use it again on special occasions when my schedule the next day won’t allow me to tap out.
Would I recommend it? I'm a little ambivalent. It could come in handy for the occasional night out, as long as you don’t have an unhealthy relationship with porn star martinis. I do worry that it could encourage some people to drink more. As with all things, moderation is definitely key. And you could argue that just swapping every other alcoholic drink for a glass of water would probably have a similar effect, and wouldn't cost a thing.
The tablets themselves aren’t the smallest, but they’re in capsule form and easy to swallow – the only issue I had was remembering to take them two hours before drinking. I set an alarm on my phone as a reminder, then another alarm for two hours later, letting me know that I could pour my first drink.
As with many supplements, there was a faint aroma, but it wasn’t off-putting, and I didn’t experience any nasty side effects. They're not suitable for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or underage, and we recommend consulting a medical professional before taking it if you have concerns, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions.
You Might Also Like
