If you’re someone who suffers badly from hangovers, you may be in luck because a brand new category of supplements has come onto the market.
Using the latest research, natural hangover supplements are designed to prevent the worst symptoms associated with hangovers.
Generally speaking, this is achieved by providing your liver with ingredients that support its detoxifying functions.
While there are plenty of hangover supplements available online today, only a few such as AfterDrink make it onto the top list.
In this review, we’re going to take a close look at AfterDrink to see if it lives up to its reputation.
Related: Best Hangover Supplements on the Market
How Does AfterDrink Work?
To answer this question properly, we need to cover how hangovers affect your body in the first place.
Alcohol is metabolized by your liver to produce acetaldehyde which is a highly toxic substance. Normally acetaldehyde is quickly broken down to produce non-toxic acetic acid before its cleared from your system.
Your liver can only process so much alcohol/acetaldehyde in a given time period and its usually surprisingly very little – around 1 glass of wine per hour. This depends on factors such as age, weight, metabolism and so on.
Once you exceed this level, acetaldehyde starts to build up in your system which is where the problem starts.
Normally, your liver produces antioxidants that clear substances like acetaldehyde before they can cause too much damage. When drinking, this process becomes overrun and depleted.
This is where hangover supplements like AfterDrink come into play.
AfterDrink is made from completely natural ingredients that are known to have powerful antioxidant properties.
It supplies your liver with the raw materials it needs to restore and regenerate enzymes to clear alcohols toxic by-products before they exert their negative effects.
Who Is AfterDrink For?
AfterDrink is designed for ordinary people who lead a healthy and active lifestyle and enjoy a few drinks once in a while.
It’s particularly useful for people who can’t really afford to be hungover and need to be on top form even after a night of drinking.
Whether it may be going into work the day after a few drinks with work colleagues or running your own business, AfterDrink is designed to keep you functioning as best as possible.
That being said, it’s no miracle cure. Hangover supplements should be seen as a helping hand to take the edge off the worst hangovers.
AfterDrink Ingredients and What They Do
With the introductions out the way, let’s take a closer look at their ingredient list to see what they’re all about.
Looking at their formula, they have 25 ingredients from nutrient categories including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbal extracts.
The first thing we notice is that AfterDrink does not use a proprietary blend which we applaud. These blends are often used by manufacturers to cut corners in order to reduce costs so we are happy to see this is not the case with AfterDrink.
Dihydromyricetin (DHM)
DHM is the active ingredient extracted from the Japanese raisin tree. It’s making waves in hangover supplement world as recent research has shown it can speed up alcohol breakdown by your liver.
This is pretty important as the faster alcohol and its by-products are cleared from your system, the less damage they can cause.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle has powerful antioxidant properties. So much so that some studies have shown it can reduce levels of inflammation and fibrosis in people with liver disease. It’s also a commonly used on its own as a hangover remedy.
B – Vitamins
B-vitamins are the precursors to many of the important liver enzymes required to carry out its detoxifying functions. As a result, they make up the foundation of the hangover supplements.
Ginger
One of the most research-backed natural anti sickness remedies known, ginger has been shown in several studies to alleviate symptoms of nausea. Nausea is arguably one of the worst symptoms of a hangover and therefore we are always keen to see it included.
L-Theanine
This is an amino acid found mainly in green tea. It’s been shown by studies to increase alpha waves in the brain which creates a state of wakeful relaxation. Hangovers are commonly associated with varying levels of anxiety and so theanine is used to tackle this aspect.
Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
NAC is used by your liver to produce Glutathione which is known to be the most powerful antioxidant in the body. The reason why most hangover supplements don’t just include glutathione by itself is that it’s not absorbed well by your gut.
Trace elements (Copper, manganese, selenium, chromium)
Trace elements are essential in keeping your livers metabolic functions working optimally. Think of them as the cogs that keep the machine working.
Piperine
This is actually extracted from black pepper. It works by increasing the absorption of ingredients such as B-vitamins and turmeric by your gut.
How to take AfterDrink
The manufacturers suggest taking 3 capsules after your last drink and then a further 3 capsules in the morning.
The most important dose you take is after your last drink. This is because the ingredients need to be available to your liver while alcohol is still in your system. Once the hangover has set in, there’s no going back. The damage is done.
For this reason, most top hangover solutions like AfterDrink work as a preventative measure rather than a “cure”.
Are There Any Side Effects?
As AfterDrink uses only natural ingredients, it’s safe to take. In addition, they use a plant-based capsule so its suitable to vegetarians and vegans.
Moreover, they use natural flow agents. These are used by manufacturers to facilitate the packing of ingredients into the individual capsules.
Artificial flow agents are used in cheap supplements and are the most common cause of adverse reactions.
We are happy to see AfterDrink has increased the quality and safety of their product by leaving these out.
AfterDrink Reviews
Here are some positive customer reviews:
“Takes the edge off hangovers, felt at least 50% better which is more than I expected” – Charlie A. London
“I usually suffer from 3-day hangovers, but with AfterDrink this has stopped. I still feel tired the day after a night out but its manageable” – Izzy S. Chicago
Here are some negative reviews:
“Tried on two different occasions. One with a 30-minute window, one with an hour window before drinking. Does not seem to help with asian glow.” – Edward, NY
On balance, AfterDrink has mostly positive reviews. Everyone is different and so may experience varying levels of effectiveness.
Does AfterDrink really work?
Based on user reviews and our own personal experience, AfterDrink can have some very mild benefite. It may help reduce some symptoms of a hangover including nausea, muscle fatigue and lack of focus.
Although its no miracle cure, it can go a long way to improving how you feel.
In summary, it might allow you to have a more productive day and get more stuff done.
Pros and Cons with AfterDrink
Pros
- Clean and safe formula
- No proprietary blend
- Comprehensive range of ingredients
- Sold all over the word
Cons
- Premium-priced
- Some pretty bad reviews online
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our AfterDrink review. It is a decent hangover preventer but it’s certainly not the best.
It ticks a couple of boxes when it comes to what we look for in a hangover supplement.
There are no hidden additives or proprietary blends which is rare to see nowadays.
It’s important to note that hangover supplements only work if drinking in moderation. You’ll also need to make sure that you keep hydrated while drinking and eat before you go out.
In summary, AfterDrink is ok but it’s not the best, here is the list of our best hangover prevention supplements.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
