Replies to post #47536 on Hangover Joe's Holding Corp. (fka HJOE)

[james885]

Since HJOE'S hangover recovery shot can easily be carried anywhere by anyone in a pocket or purse for example and simply opened and consumed right from the bottle. It's certainly handier than Berocca which must be mixed with water before drinking.

Bayer is smart to avoid saying that Berocca can definitively stop a hangover. A 2005 study published in the medical journal BMJ concluded tha, “No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover.” A more recent 2010 study came to the same conclusion.

Since most hangover symptoms are caused by dehydration, it’s also possible that Berocca tablets help consumers remember to drink a lot of water, which is really the best way to combat a hangover.

[james885]

Ingredients of Berocca
Citric acid, sodium hydrogen carbonate, vitamin C, magnesium sulphate, mannitol, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, flavouring, sodium carbonate, niacin, sweeteners (see below for list of sweeteners), salt, zinc citrate, colour, pantothenic acid, maltodextrin, riboflavin, thiamin, acacia gum, vitamin B6, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sugar, trisodium citrate, antifoaming agent (polysorbate 60), Folic acid, Vitamin E, Biotin, Vitamin B12.
A note on some key ingredients
Sweeteners – many are used but probably the one to really note here is acesulfame.
Acesulfame Potassium or Acesulfame K is made with the solvent Methylene chloride – it is the substance that may give the food additive its potential carcinogenic characteristics. In addition, exposure to methylene chloride for long periods of time may lead to such side effects as breast tumors, chronic respiratory disease, depression, headaches, kidney and liver problems, leukaemia, lung tumors, mental confusion, nausea and visual disturbances.
Acesulfame potassium may also increase the appetite, by tricking the satiety signals of our body. When consuming products that contain this artificial sweetener, cravings for extremely sweet foods may develop. In these conditions, taste perception is changed and the fruits and vegetables do not feel tasty anymore.

Calcium Carbonate – This is the least absorbable form of calcium on the market. A very small percentage is actually absorbed, and it comes from coral.
Citric Acid – this is not what you think it is – ‘from an orange’ – it is made from a genetically modified black mould. The industry has worked out how to make it in bulk and extremely cheap, rather than extracting it from citrus fruits. You will find that this is in many, many products.

Flavouring – Nature Identical Flavour, flavour, natural flavour and artificial flavour are all much the same substance with a few subtle changes to the beginning of the process. If it is nature identical or natural it means that the food flavour began with the actual food but in the end they all end up the same. For instance, here are the ingredients (if you can call them that) of strawberry flavouring (Source: Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation) amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amylketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, ?-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent.
So when you read flavouring of any type in your supplements don’t think it is just one ingredient it is around 48 chemicals and ingredients.
Gelatine – we do not know whether this is organic and what the source is. If you are vegetarian or vegan, make sure you are aware that this is from an animal source, most gelatines have the preservative sulphite.
Vitamins and Minerals: When a vitamin or mineral ends in ide or ate you know that it is from a chemical laboratory not from nature and many of the vitamins and minerals in Berocca end in ide and ate. I do not know the source of the vitamin E as they have not given me the correct name. But if it has a formula that begins with dl – then it is artificial not from a natural source. Isolated vitamins and minerals are never found in nature they are always with macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) as well as other micro nutrients.

Partially hydrogenated soybean oil: The partial hydrogenation of any oil creates trans-fat, a fat which have been noted to cause an increase in heart disease. Now I know there will be negligible amounts of this fat, but the fact that it is even being used makes me over-the-top suspicious of this supplement.
Colour – Many colours are made from azo dyes and petroleum by products so it is just another thing that should be avoided. Some colours have been identified as causing hyperactivity as well as the onset of asthma and dermatitis. Some colours have been banned in other countries while still allowed in Australia, the US and New Zealand.
Depending on which country Berocca is sold in, it may contain between 40mg-271mg of sodium (in Australia and New Zealand it is 271mg). It comes in three flavours – Orange, Mixed Berries and Tropical. The effervescent tablets contain 25 to 275mg d-mannitol, 20mg acesulfame potassium and 25mg aspartame, 6 mg sucrose, 13.44mg polydextrose and 94mg lactose, this is how much is used to sweeten the product.
In March 2011 the Health Department of Australia moved to withdraw the advertising of Berocca for its unsubstantiated claims of providing invigoration. This came in the wake of the same department issuing Berocca with a Healthcare product award in November of the year before (Wikipedia).
Unbelievable!
Berocca causes urine to turn deep yellow in colour – this is due to the excess vitamin B2 being passed via urine.