Interventions for treatment and/or prevention of alcohol hangover: Systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate new research conducted over the past few years (2009–2016) assessing the effectiveness of potentially curative and/or preventive methods of alcohol hangover. Methods: Data were retrieved by a 4-stage systematic search process. A search of the online Pubmed and Scopus databases were performed, using a combination of keywords: “Alcohol,” “Ethanol,” and “C2H5OH,” in combination with the terms “Hangover,” “Treatment,” and “Prevention.” The search comprised studies listed between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2016. Findings were synthesized using a systematic approach. Quantitative analysis was not done because of the heterogeneity of the included studies. Results: Six controlled human studies were identified (placebo controlled—3, controlled studies with a comparator intervention—3). Of the interventions, the use of polysaccharide rich extract of Acanthopanax senticosus, red ginseng antihangover drink, Korean pear juice, KSS formula, and the After-Effect© were associated with a significant improvement of hangover symptoms (p