ZBiotics is a biotechnology company that sells Pre-Alcohol, a supplement containing what the company describes as "the world's first genetically engineered probiotic." The brand claims that the product breaks down acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol that contibutes to hangover symptoms.

But does ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol actually break down acetaldehyde in humans? Has the engineered probiotic been tested in a clinical trial? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? And is ZBiotics better or worse than NAC (another supplement popularized for reducing hangover symptoms)?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also share our concerns about the two studies published by the company, discuss the risk of side effects, and evaluate the brand's testing practices.

Key takeaways:

• No human clinical trials yet, so efficacy is theoretical
• Contains two inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
• We do not currently recommend ZBiotics

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol are shown below:

image source: https://zbiotics.com/

Bacillus subtilis ZB183 is the active ingredient, and it's a genetically engineered probiotic strain built to produce acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the same class of enzyme the liver uses to break down acetaldehyde.

This ingredient removed over 99% of acetaldehyde, compared to 16.5% for the control strain, in a laboratory study published in the PLOS One journal. 

That result was produced in minimal media and simulated intestinal fluid, not in people.

All five authors of the study are ZBiotics employees who hold stock in the company, which the paper discloses.

We cannot identify any published human trial testing whether this probiotic reduces acetaldehyde in the human gut, or whether doing so changes how a person feels the next day.

The company also doesn't appear to publish the number of colony forming units (CFU) per bottle, which is the standard dosing disclosure for a probiotic, and the figure a reader would need to compare this product to any other.

Natural flavors is an ingredient we recommend avoiding, because this broad categorical descriptor may include synthetic solvents and preservatives, according to a medical review published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal.

Potassium sorbate is a synthetic preservative we also recommend avoiding, as we documented in our Zena Collagen and Biotin review article.

Overall, we consider this supplement to be promising from a potential efficacy perspective, but we do not currently recommend ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol, due to the absence of human efficacy research and the inclusion of the two additives discussed above.

Is it Better Than NAC?

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the supplement most commonly taken before drinking, and it's worth comparing because it targets the same problem as Pre-Alcohol from a different angle.

NAC is a precursor to glutathione, and the theory is that it helps the body handle the oxidative stress caused by acetaldehyde. Pre-Alcohol instead uses an engineered probiotic to directly break acetaldehyde down in the gut.

The key difference is that NAC has been tested in people and Pre-Alcohol doesn't appear to have been.

A clinical trial published in the Scientific Reports journal gave 49 participants 600 to 1,800 milligrams (mg) of NAC or placebo before drinking, and found no significant difference in total hangover scores between the two groups.

That trial also measured exhaled acetaldehyde and found no difference between NAC and placebo, meaning the compound didn't appear to change acetaldehyde levels at all.

We want to be careful not to overstate what this means for ZBiotics. NAC works systemically as an antioxidant while Pre-Alcohol works enzymatically in the gut, so a null result for one does not disprove the other.

What it does show is that targeting acetaldehyde is a harder problem than it sounds, and that a plausible mechanism of action doesn't necessarily translate into people feeling better the next day.

The laboratory work shows the engineered probiotic degrades acetaldehyde in simulated intestinal fluid, but we cannot identify a human trial testing whether that changes anything a person actually experiences.

Based on the available research, we do not consider either ZBiotics or NAC likely to be effective for reducing hangover symptoms, until human research emerges proving so.

Does it Cause Side Effects?

Pre-Alcohol doesn't appear to have been studied for side effects in a published human trial, which makes it challenging to determine whether or not it causes them.

However, we can make an educated guess based on the stated ingredients and the available safety research.

A 90-day animal study of the same strain in rats identified no observed adverse effect at the highest dose tested, which was 10 to the 11th CFU per kilogram of body weight per day.

We do not consider ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol likely to cause side effects in healthy adults, because Bacillus subtilis is a widely consumed probiotic species and the published toxicology work found no adverse effect at doses far above a normal serving.

Readers should note that the product does not reduce intoxication or blood alcohol level, so it does not make drinking safer. The company states this plainly on its own website, which we credit.

At the time of publishing this article, the brand recommends consulting a healthcare provider before use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Our Testing Concerns

ZBiotics describes a more detailed quality-testing program than the vast majority of supplement brands we review.

The company states that every batch is tested for enzyme activity, viability, CFU count, and purity by next-generation sequencing, and that finished product is screened for pathogens, yeast, mold, and the four heavy metals.

What we cannot find is the actual data.

The brand describes what it tests for, but doesn't appear to publish downloadable certificates of analysis or batch-level results that a reader could inspect.

Describing a testing program is not the same as publishing its output, and we would encourage the company to release batch certificates given how much of its positioning rests on scientific rigor.

ZBiotics Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Novel engineered active ingredient
• Published animal safety research
• Claimed per-batch testing program
• Reasonable and scientific marketing claims
• Unlikely to cause side effects

Cons:

• Doesn't appear tested in a human trial
• Functional study authored entirely by company employees
• CFU count doesn't appear to be published
• Contains natural flavors
• Contains a synthetic preservative
• We can't identify published certificates of analysis
• Acetaldehyde is only one contributor to how alcohol affects you

Conclusion

ZBiotics' probiotic supplement is promising, pending further research, but we do not currently recommend it.

The company has published both safety research and functional research on the active ingredient, which is more than most supplement brands do.

The problem is what that research covers.

The functional work appears to be laboratory testing in simulated intestinal fluid rather than a human trial, and it was authored entirely by employees of the company.

We cannot identify any published human research showing that ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol changes acetaldehyde levels in a person, or changes how that person feels afterward.

The drink also contains natural flavors and a synthetic preservative, both of which we recommend avoiding.

If the company publishes a human trial and drops the two additives, our position on this product would likely change.

At this stage, we do not have enough information to suggest that ZBiotics or NAC (another dietary supplement used to prevent hangovers) is likely to be effective for symptom reduction.