Startups Are Promising Hangover Cures, But What Does Science Say?

What is driving the hangover cure market boom?

Startups are capitalizing on a rapidly expanding market for hangover relief products even as Americans drink less alcohol, according to reporting from Inc. and Forbes. Grand View Research estimated the global hangover cure products market size at USD 2.34 billion in 2023, with projections reaching USD 6.18 billion by 2030. Companies like Morning Recovery, Zbiotics, Cheers, Drinking Buddies, and No Days Wasted are promoting supplements designed to neutralize toxic byproducts or ease next-morning symptoms using botanical ingredients like dihydromyricetin (DHM).

How do these startups claim their products work?

Commercial products typically focus on neutralizing acetaldehyde—a toxic molecule created when the liver breaks down alcohol—or utilizing DHM derived from the Hovenia Dulcis tree, a remedy studied by UCLA and USC professor Dr. Jing Liang. For instance, Zbiotics sells a genetically engineered probiotic designed to break down acetaldehyde in the gut, while Morning Recovery markets a beverage additive built around DHM.

However, researchers note that the underlying science remains contested. Howard Edenberg, a molecular biologist and geneticist at the Indiana University School of Medicine, explained in The New Yorker that while acetaldehyde buildup is aversive, it may not tell the whole story. Yanina Pepino, a professor of ingestive behavior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told The New Yorker that "it’s very simplistic to think that only acetaldehyde plays a major role" and added that hangovers are so complex that researchers do not yet have a crisp, clear grasp of their exact causes. Jonathan Howland, an emeritus professor of emergency medicine at Boston University, noted that creating interventions without knowing the underlying mechanism is "dicey."

What do industry leaders and critics say about the science?

Startup founders acknowledge the tension between aggressive marketing and rigorous scientific validation. Zack Abbott, co-founder and CEO of Zbiotics and a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of Michigan, told TechCrunch on July 25, 2018, that the consumer space is "rife with pseudo science" and that his company aims to rely on data. Stephen Lamb, co-founder of Zbiotics, added in the same report that addressing simple hydration or adding vitamins to a bottle is not enough.

On the funding front, Zbiotics raised $2.8 million in seed funding by July 2018, while Sisun Lee, founder of Morning Recovery parent company 82 Labs, announced a Series A of $10 million CAD ($8 million USD) at a $42 million CAD ($33 million USD) valuation on April 2, 2018. Lee, a former Tesla engineer and University of Waterloo graduate, generated $2.5 million in revenue with $6.8 million ARR in the first six months of Morning Recovery's launch in July 2017, alongside a $250,000 crowdfunding campaign in August 2017 and nearly $2 million CAD in 2017 seed funding. Lee told BetaKit that the team decided to sacrifice short-term profitability to grow aggressively, stating, "We want to get to market quick and go direct to consumers, so we focus a lot on branding distribution, but the core of it is [that] the science has to work or people won’t buy it."

Critics point out that many commercial supplements lack robust, peer-reviewed human clinical trials. Furthermore, neuropharmacologist Daryl Davies noted the disparity in DHM bioavailability, explaining that rodent studies utilized high bioavailability via solution injections (50% to 70%), whereas commercial capsules and powders drop to roughly 5% bioavailability.

What comes next for these companies?

Both Zbiotics and Morning Recovery are channeling funds into further research and expansion. Zbiotics is planning a crowdfunding campaign and drafting a protocol for a human clinical study with scientific advisor Dr. Joris Verster, as reported by TechCrunch. Meanwhile, Morning Recovery plans to invest in its own research team and lab, enter the Canadian market, and navigate international regulations, according to BetaKit.

This is educational information, not legal, financial, tax, or investment advice.