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Elotrans is celebrated on social media for eliminating the effects of wine, beer, and cocktails with glucose and electrolytes. Is that true?
September 26, 2024
Petra Harms
Too much alcohol? It's not just Oktoberfest evenings and Christmas parties that sometimes leave a heavy head. The anti-diarrhea medication Elotrans is said to work wonders against hangovers. Doctors see this critically.
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"I'm pretty sure that Elotrans is made in a secret lab where unicorns deliver the water, fairies label the bottles, and centaurs handle quality control." This is how the effectiveness of Elotrans as a hangover cure is enthusiastically praised on Amazon.
Apparently, the powder from the pharmaceutical company Stada in Bad Vilbel also stimulates the lyrical self, although it is a diarrhea medication that has become a celebrated cure for hangovers thanks to social media.
A small sachet containing 6.03 grams has become a must-have for carnivals, Oktoberfest, birthday parties, and Christmas parties. It is touted as a "miracle cure" and allegedly works like the neuralyzer from the movie "Men in Black." The neuralyzer erased all memories of aliens from the mind, Elotrans is supposed to eliminate the effects of wine, beer, and cocktails with Glucose and electrolytes.
With its own Instagram channel, TikTok videos from enthusiastic users of the party generation, and 5-star ratings on shopping portals, this image is promoted. However, it was developed to compensate for deficiencies when the body loses fluid during cases of diarrhea, energy. and important minerals has been lost.
In addition, Elotrans can shorten the duration of diarrhea and quickly improve general well-being, according to the description of the medication on the company's website. For example, it is increasingly recommended by pharmacists against the symptoms of the current salmonella outbreak.
However, the electrolytes only help with a single symptom: the headache caused by fluid loss, says the internist.
Since alcohol also leads to slight dehydration (see article on the topic hangover ) and as a result, among other things, too little sodium circulates in the blood, Elotrans – according to the legend – also compensates for hangover malaise. Professor Antje Habicht, Internist in Munich: "However, during an acute gastrointestinal illness, the body loses significantly more fluids than through alcohol."
Doctors are particularly critical that a hangover is not a disease and that medicines (including those that are not prescription-only) are needed for people suffering from diarrhea, particularly children under two years and older people who struggle to compensate for the loss of fluids and nutrients.
But does taking Elotrans really help to compensate for the consequences of a boozy night? Professor Antje Habicht , Internist in Munich: "A hangover has multifactorial causes, which have not yet been sufficiently researched. Electrolytes only help against a single symptom: headache caused by fluid loss."
The pounding Pain However, it may also be due to other factors. Quercetin, for example, a flavonoid found in red wine, prevents the smooth breakdown of alcohol and ensures that toxic substances accumulate. Fusel oils, which are particularly found in white beer, fruit brandies, and whiskey, are also known culprits that spread discomfort. For all other accompanying symptoms of a hangover, electrolytes are useless anyway.
The hype about the hangover killer – a pure marketing and placebo effect. The idea is seductive: Tear open a packet and simply undo the effects of too much alcohol.
But perhaps headaches, a queasy stomach, weakness, and sweating also have a regulatory effect, notes Professor Habicht. Enduring consequences hardly fits into our time, where everything is supposed to happen quickly and immediately.
But perhaps another trend fits to tackle the hangover: a DIY. Those who are still able to mix four ingredients together after a party can make their own electrolyte solution according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO): Mix four teaspoons of sugar, ¾ teaspoon of table salt, and a cup of orange juice in a liter of mineral water – and bravely swallow it down. But mineral water alone will also do.
