We humans have been looking for an effective way to prevent or at least treat hangovers for a long time, but one Silicone Valley startup claims to have finally found a way to ease the uncomfortable side effects of drinking.

Zbiotics is the world’s first genetically modified probiotic. It’s not marketed as an explicit cure for hangovers, because they include a wide variety of negative side effects; Downing a small bottle of Zbiotics before your first alcoholic drink of the night has a very specific purpose – to help your body break down acetaldehyde, a by-product of metabolizing ethanol. It’s this toxic compound that is associated with known hangover symptoms like headache, nausea, and heart palpitations.

Although acetaldehyde naturally dissipates over time, the more you drink the more of it builds up in your body, and the worse you feel. Zbiotics contains a form of “good” bacteria that has been genetically engineered to break down acetaldehyde and make you feel better after an alcohol-fuelled night out.

“We had to create something new to address the problem because nature didn’t have a solution,” Zbiotics founder Zack Abbott said. “If nature had a solution, humanity would’ve found it before 2019! The basis for the creation of ZBiotics was the idea that we can potentially direct or harness the power of bacteria, tame them to create features that are useful to us.”

Abbott, a microbiologist, chose Bacillus subtilis, a bacteria traditionally used in the fermentation process of soybeans in Japan, and genetically altered it to produce an enzyme designed to break down acetaldehyde. This enzyme is similar to the one produced by our livers for the same purpose, only Zbiotics delivers it straight to the drinker’s intestines, where it works its magic to prevent the nasty side effects of drinking.

Packaged in small 15-milliliter translucent bottles, Zbiotics must be ingested before alcohol intake or at least while drinking, because it is designed to work while the user is drinking and while they are sleeping. One bottle costs between $9 and $12.

 

It’s worth noting that while Zbiotics is designed to ease some of the negative effects of drinking, it will not prevent you from getting drunk or help you sober up faster. Abbott also recommends using it in conjunction with other strategies, like getting enough sleep and getting hydrated, for optimal results.

We’ve seen lost of so-called hangover cures in the past, but the makers of Zbiotics claim that is the first science-based one.