A NEW hangover 'cure' has taken the UK by storm, selling out in days.
The Myrkl pill has been found to leave drinkers “feeling fresh” following a day on ale.
But one doctor has warned that the supplement is actually 'dodgy' and that consumers should be wary of taking it to cure their sore heads.
Taking to TikTok, Dr Karan Rajan gave his followers the low-down on the £2 a pop 'cure'.
He said: "It's a pre-drinking pill that apparently contains two strains of bacteria which can breakdown alcohol in the intestine before it reaches the liver and ease your symptoms."
The pills cost £30 for 30 tablets, which would be 15 uses.
Read more on hangovers
All we know about hangover pill Myrkl and how it works
Drinkers can now buy ‘incredible’ hangover pill Myrkl for just £2 a pop
The journal Nutrition and Metabolic Insights reported that, in tests, subjects had 70 per cent less alcohol in their blood an hour after two vodkas.
Dr Karan said for the price, the tablets 'sounds amazing'.
He added: "But here's where it gets dodgy.
"All the evidence for this magical pill comes from one study, with just 24 people.
Most read in Health
SO DESERVED 
Christine Lampard's tears as she praises hero NHS workers vying for Sun awards
I’m a dietitian – here’s 4 physical signs you need to eat MORE carbs
Take online quiz to work out YOUR risk of deadly heart problem
Deborah James’ parents celebrate their daughter a week after her death
"All the study participants were healthy and white – a very limited data set.
"What's worse is that they only included data from 14 of the 24 people".
Guidance on how to use the pills states you should take two before drinking at least one hour and up to 12 hours before.
Dr Karan added: "But in the study they tested a week's worth of two pills a day.
"Plus they only tested with a tiny amount of alcohol.
"For me this just seems like a lot of hype and the best cure for a hangover remains drinking less alcohol," he added.
The creators say it is 100 per cent natural and vegan and is based on a mix of high performing bacterias enriched with L-cysteine and Vitamin B12.
Myrkl is not suitable for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or under the age of 18.
Participants in a clinical trial who drank two glasses of wine and took the supplement before drinking had on average 50 per cent less alcohol in their blood after 30 minutes.
After 60 minutes, they had 70 per cent less, significantly reducing alcohol’s impact on the body.
'REMEDY NOT CURE'
However, as Dr Karan pointed out, they only tested the pills using 0.3g of booze per kg body weight.
Håkan Magnusson, of Swedish inventors de Faire Medical, said: “Two drinks is enough to stop you feeling fresh in the morning.
“I hand it out to my friends when I go out for a drink and they always tell me next day they feel great.”
Speaking to The Sun, Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy said if claims by the manufacturers of the pill are true, then Myrkl is likely to reduce the usual feelings of intoxication after drinking a few alcoholic drinks.
She said: "It makes sense that some of the hangover symptoms that usually follow a bout of drinking would be reduced, because blood alcohol levels are reduced, hence there will be less alcohol for the liver to metabolise.
Where to get help if you have a problem with alcohol
If you think you might have a problem with booze then you may need to seek help.
This might be the case if you often feel the need to have a drink or if you get into trouble because of your drinking.
If other people have warned you about your drink and it's causing you problems then a good place to start is your GP.
There are other places you can go to get help:
- Drinkline: Call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
- AA – a free self help group that follows the 12 step programme
- Al-Anon Family Groups – a group for friends and family members impacted by drinking
- We Are With You – for individuals, families and communities struggling – call 0808 8010 750 – if you're over 50 and worried about booze
- Adfam – local support groups and message boards
- National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa) – call 0800 358 3456
- SMART Recovery – to help people discover if they have a problem
"There will also be lower levels of the toxic metabolic breakdown product, acetaldehyde – thought to be the cause of many hangover symptoms.
"Myrkl is not so much ‘a hangover cure’, as ‘a stopping you get drunk in the first place’ remedy."
Dr Fox said that light drinkers won't really needed this product, but added that you shouldn't be fooled into thinking you can drink more whilst using the new supplement.
"The government recommendation is still to drink 14 units or less of alcohol per week.
"Don’t drink more than 6 units at any one time and have a couple of alcohol-free days every week.
Read More on The Sun
Urgent warning for BILLIONS of iPhone users to change your settings NOW
I transformed my garden for just £20 – it took less than a day
"For heavy drinkers, or those dependent on alcohol, it is unlikely to have any significant effect and could make alcohol withdrawal worse.
"Those who might find it useful are the moderate drinkers – moderate drinking is defined as men who drink two drinks a day every day, and women who drink one alcoholic drink a day every day."
Source: Read Full Article