Your dog’s hair can take a walk.
Finnish researchers believe they have found the magic cure for pesky hangovers: an amino acid called L-cysteine.
Scientists at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland have found that the natural building block for proteins found throughout the human body can alleviate ailments such as nausea, headaches, stress and anxiety, according to a new study published earlier this week in the scientific journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.
Experts test the acid by distributing it, like a placebo, to 19 randomly selected men who admitted that they had experienced the blues of post-binge drinking before. Neither the scientists who administered the trial nor the participants who received the pills knew who received what treatment.
Some men received a 1,200-milligram dose of L-cysteine, while others received 600 milligrams. The guinea pigs were then given the task of drinking 1.5 grams per kilogram of alcohol over three hours and were then told to swallow the pill.
The larger dose helped solve more serious problems such as nausea and headaches, while the smaller dose reduced stress and anxiety, the researchers discovered.
They also said the amino acid could reduce the urge to drink the next day, Bloomberg reported.
L-cysteine is vital for the human body, and “acts as a precursor for antioxidants and for immune messenger molecules,” Neha Pathak, a physician in internal medicine and WebMD medical editor, told The Post. ‘We get it naturally through our diet. . . and it can be found in foods such as dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes. ”
But you might need to think twice before hitting your local drug store, where L-cysteine is available in an affordable pill form in the course of supplements.
“In terms of dietary supplements, there is no great data on what doses are appropriate, how it breaks down and what the side effects may be,” said Pathak, citing one study that found that L-cysteine had a negative effect has on the nervous system.
Plus, the sample size of the Finnish study was too limited to be reliable. “If you do a little research, you can just randomly have a positive result,” she added.
Another potential issue? The Finnish research team received funding from Catapult Cat Oy, which sells L-cysteine supplements.
Perhaps a better bet for those who went overboard the night before: N-acetylcysteine, which is derived from L-cysteine and is often used in hospitals to help treat Tylenol overdoses and hepatitis. It is “considered the safer supplement,” Pathak said.
N-acetylcysteine specifically helps the body produce an antioxidant called glutathione which is known to fight cellular damage.
Hangover savant Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall has long been a champion of N-acetylcysteine, writing about it in his 2018 book ‘Hungover: The Morning After and One Man’s Quest for the Cure’.
Bishop-Stall previously admitted to The Post that he takes about 1,500 milligrams of the amino acid for a cat, calling it a “kind of a magic ingredient.”
The Toronto-based drinker, who has tried hundreds of different wallpaper treatments, from expensive nutrient IVs to bizarre culinary cures to the dog’s classic hair, preferred to eat a ‘high dose’ of morning after ointment, along with vitamins B1, B6 and B12, such as boswellia (frankincense) and milk thistle herbal extracts.
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