ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando entrepreneur just hit a milestone getting his product in Publix stores. The drink, B4, is designed to help prevent hangovers after a night of drinking, but does it really work?
B4, created by John Mansour, is supposed to help you "celebrate tonight and feel better tomorrow," according to the slogan written on the side of the can. It "protects" your body, before you drink alcohol, according to Mansour.
With the holidays approaching, many will be enjoying their favorite cocktails, but is there a cure for the age-old hangover that can come with it?
"There's no cure. That doesn't exist," Mansour said.
Drinking alcohol depletes your body of precious vitamins and minerals, which is why you can feel bad if you over-indulge, according to Mansour.
The pharmacist created a drink chock-full of supplements to have beforehand. The ingredients include a laundry list of vitamins and a proprietary blend of amino acids.
"It's like sunscreen for your liver," Mansour said. "We have coined the term ‘pre-covery.’ Like sunscreen, you're doing it before you are doing something, exposing the body to something."
"We want the consumer to say, 'I need hydration. I need vitamins. I need minerals. I need electrolytes,' and that is going to allow me to wake up and feel better the next day," he said.
Registered dietician Dawn Orsaeo has examined the ingredients of B4, and spoken with people who have tried it and says don't expect a miracle.
"One of these drinks is not going to outdo nine or 10 martinis," she said.
Orseao agrees that replenishing what alcohol depletes from your system can help you feel better the next day; however, at $5 a can, there might be a less expensive way to do it.
"If you wanted to go a cheaper route," Orsaeo said. "You could drink one or two Gatorades or drink a Gatorade and take a multivitamin."
B4 is gaining popularity now sold in mom-and-pop stores in 16 states, as well as large retailers like ABC, and as of December it's available at Publix. For someone who went to Bishop Moore High School and Florida A&M University, it's quite an accomplishment.
"I'm a Florida boy, so Publix is the beacon on the hill," he said. "The idea really is pretty smart and pretty cool and it's also really important health-wise."
B4 is available at 694 Publix stores across the state. Mansour is hoping that expands to stores outside the state as well.