faqs
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Pre-Alcohol
What is ZBiotics® Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink?
ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol (or Pre-Alcohol for short) is a beverage containing a patented, genetically engineered probiotic (B. subtilis ZB183™) that helps you land on your feet the day after drinking alcohol. It’s engineered to break down an unwanted byproduct of alcohol called acetaldehyde – the main culprit behind rough mornings after drinking (citation).*
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
How does Pre-Alcohol work?
Pre-Alcohol is designed to replicate the natural process of your liver, but do it in your gut. We took a normal probiotic bacteria you already eat every day, and we bioengineered it to produce the same type of enzyme your liver produces (citation). That enzyme breaks down acetaldehyde – an unwanted byproduct of alcohol that accumulates in your gut when you drink.
Your liver does not have access to your gut. But by drinking Pre-Alcohol, the goal is to augment your gut’s natural ability to digest acetaldehyde while you drink and while you sleep – helping you make the most of the next day. Just remember that Pre-Alcohol won’t affect intoxication or make alcohol safer to drink, so always drink responsibly.
When do I drink Pre-Alcohol?
The earlier the better. Ideally you drink Pre-Alcohol before your first drink.
The probiotic in Pre-Alcohol needs time to “wake up” in your gut, so we say the earlier the better if you can remember it. We drink Pre-Alcohol just before going out – right before our first drink. But it should be active if you drink it any time during the day or night. So whether it’s a few hours before drinking or you’ve already enjoyed a round or two, go for it. Pre-Alcohol can help from that point on.
How long does 1 bottle of Pre-Alcohol last after I drink it?
The probiotic in Pre-Alcohol is likely to stay in your body for 18-24 hours after you drink it. So one bottle will cover you for a whole day, even if you're starting with brunch mimosas followed by evening plans later on!
How do I drink Pre-Alcohol?
- Drink 1 bottle of Pre-Alcohol.
- Enjoy your night.
- Get some sleep.
Drink Pre-Alcohol before or during drinking – the earlier the better. Just give it a shake and drink the whole thing. The probiotics are designed to become active while you drink and while you sleep, helping your body digest acetaldehyde as they’re passing through your gut. Then they simply leave your body after a day or two, without changing your body or impacting your microbiome. A happier, healthier you, thanks to ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol.
What's the dark stuff at the bottom of the bottle?
It's the good stuff.
It's just the natural sedimentation of the probiotic and the flavoring that happens if the bottle is left resting for a while. Just give it a couple shakes to re-suspend and you're good to go.
Is Pre-Alcohol flavored? What is its consistency?
The flavor is a bit tart with minimal aftertaste (like lemon water).
The texture is just like water. The probiotic should make the liquid slightly cloudy unless it settles in the bottle. So give it a shake and watch all the ingredients mix together before drinking.
Is Pre-Alcohol gluten free?
Yes! Pre-Alcohol is 100% gluten free.
We use no wheat or grains of any kind at any point in our manufacturing process. The primary ingredient is a probiotic bacterial strain we invented called Bacillus subtilis ZB183™. Other ingredients are water, a small amount of natural flavor, salt, and potassium sorbate, which is a preservative that is necessary to stabilize the product for room temperature storage.
It is important to note that our product contains a live probiotic bacteria. As with any new food or supplement, it is always best to consult your medical doctor if you have any concerns related to your gut health with a new product.
I want to fly with Pre-Alcohol. Is it TSA friendly?
Yes, it is! There should be no problem bringing Pre-Alcohol on your flight in either your checked or carry-on luggage. For carry-on, our bottles are well below the 3.4oz limit (each one is only 0.47 oz), so you are able to bring as many as will fit in a 1-quart ziplock bag.
If you're bringing a large quantity, such as a 50-pack or 100-pack, we suggest packing it in your checked luggage, just to be safe.What is acetaldehyde?
Acetaldehyde (pronounced “asset” + “AL” + “duh” + “hide”) is a chemical we most often experience as a byproduct of alcohol metabolism. It’s linked to lots of unwanted effects on our bodies, but most commonly it’s associated with the rough feelings you get the day after drinking.
When we drink, our bodies break down alcohol in 2 steps.
- From ethanol to acetaldehyde.
- From acetaldehyde to acetate (essentially vinegar).
The first reaction (ethanol to acetaldehyde) moves quickly, but the second reaction (acetaldehyde to acetate) is less efficient, particularly in the gut. That’s because your gut has drastically lower amounts of the acetaldehyde-digesting enzyme. So when we drink, acetaldehyde tends to build up in the gut, which is bad news, because normal responsible drinking habits like hydrating and eating are unlikely to increase your body’s ability to digest acetaldehyde. So you’re probably going to feel it. Good news, ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol is here to help.
How should I store Pre-Alcohol? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Room temperature. No refrigeration needed.
Store Pre-Alcohol at room temperature with the cap on. Do not refrigerate. Try not to open it until you’re ready to drink it; opening it could potentially let contaminants from the air into the bottle.
What if I drink Pre-Alcohol the morning after drinking?
It probably won't do anything.
Pre-Alcohol won’t do much if consumed substantially after a round of drinking. Pre-Alcohol’s key ingredient – the probiotic that breaks down acetaldehyde – needs time to “wake up” in your gut and become active. That’s why we make Pre-Alcohol our first drink of the night.
Does Pre-Alcohol expire?
Pre-Alcohol expires 18 months after bottling. We aim to deliver products to you that still have at least 12 months of shelf-life left. Check the “BB” (Best-By) date on your bottle or box.
Store Pre-Alcohol at room temperature with the cap on. Do not refrigerate. Do not open it until you’re ready to drink it; opening it could potentially let contaminants from the air into the bottle.
I thought alcohol causes dehydration?
Interestingly, there is really good science that clearly debunks the persistent myth that alcohol causes dehydration, and that dehydration is responsible for how you feel the next day. Alcohol does not significantly dehydrate you, and there are many academic studies confirming this over the past several decades (citation). We did a write-up about alcohol and dehydration (with citations) we recommend reading.
In general though, you can do a simple thought experiment to prove to yourself that any rough feelings you have the day after drinking have nothing to do with dehydration: 1. If how you felt the next day really was due to dehydration, then a glass or two of water the next day would make you feel 100% again, which we all know from experience is not at all the case! 2. Things that DO cause dehydration (e.g. eating salty foods, working out) don't make you feel ANYTHING like the way we feel the day after drinking alcohol!
Instead, there are quite a few other things going on in your body when you drink. Here's a great review of the scientific literature on the subject. Acetaldehyde is a key factor, and one requiring an enzymatic approach to deal with. This is why we built ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol: a probiotic engineered to produce the same type of enzyme as your liver to break down acetaldehyde.
How does acetaldehyde make me feel?
There are hundreds of papers demonstrating the unwanted effects of acetaldehyde. Here is one that shows a direct comparison of acetaldehyde to ethanol. Here is another on the impact of acetaldehyde on DNA. And here is a summary of studies published by the EU regarding the safety (or lack thereof) of acetaldehyde.
How will Pre-Alcohol make me feel?
Pre-Alcohol is designed to break down acetaldehyde, which is responsible for some of the worst feelings you get when you drink.* It is not designed to break down alcohol, which causes some of the more minor effects. In particular, alcohol itself affects the quality of your sleep, but you can usually take care of that with some breakfast and coffee. If you’re interested, here are 7 of our tips to feel better the day after drinking alcohol.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
How can something in the gut affect the rest of my body?
One rarely appreciated fact is that your gut, and particularly your colon (part of your gut), is actually a huge sink and source of acetaldehyde in the body, even more so than the blood or liver. In fact, acetaldehyde concentrations in the colon are 10 to 100 times higher than in the blood (citation, citation). That’s because a large amount of acetaldehyde is actually created in your gut, produced by enzymes in both your intestinal lining and your microbiome (citation).
But acetaldehyde doesn’t just stick around your gut. It’s an extremely soluble molecule. So soluble, in fact, that it can actually diffuse into all the fluid of your body, easily passing through membranes from your gut and into your brain, muscles, and cells. The result? All those non-gut effects of acetaldehyde may in fact be quite gut-related.
Why is ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol different from other products out there?
Other products on the market today are different mixes of the same ~10 off-the-shelf vitamins and plant extracts you can find anywhere. Many of these have absolutely no demonstration of efficacy or even really a hypothesis as to how they could possibly help you.
Pre-Alcohol is different. We looked at one of the major unwanted byproducts of drinking alcohol – acetaldehyde – and invented a probiotic bacteria to break it down the same way your liver does.
No other product out there does that.
We spent two years in the lab bioengineering a completely new solution from scratch. It’s built from the ground up specifically for this purpose, and we’ve patented it (US Patent 10,849,938 B2).
Furthermore, our product uses a completely new technology. We are the first genetically engineered probiotic to ever hit the market, for any purpose (not just acetaldehyde breakdown). We are extremely excited not just for this particular use case, but for all the other things we think we can do using bioengineered probiotics.
What if I try Pre-Alcohol and I’m not satisfied with the results?
Our top priority is your satisfaction, and we don’t want to keep your money if you’re not happy with our product. We offer a 100% money-back guarantee for Pre-Alcohol, no strings attached! If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, we’ll issue a full refund for your first purchase.
To request a refund, please send an email to support@zbiotics.com, with your name, order number, and reason for the request. Someone from our Customer Care team will follow up with you to get your refund processed!