A drink that promises to be the answer to any party reveller's prayer is poised to hit supermarket shelves at the end of this month.

The new product, called Head Start, vows to cure hangovers via a combination of vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates and electrolytes, which detox the system, restore energy levels and ensure rapid rehydration within half an hour of being swallowed, it claims.

The beverage will sit in the energy drinks section in Tesco's larger outlets, as well as in Morrisons and Booker Cash & Carry outlets. Producer Head Start Drinks, said the ready-to-drink remedy - which should be taken before bedtime after a night out and then again the following morning - will banish the familiar effects of too much booze: headache, nausea, upset stomach and bad breath.

The company developed the product because it knew of no other products in liquid form that targeted the hangover symptoms, and it felt there was a gap in the market, it said.

"We've put years of research and development into creating a drink that not only addresses the four main problems caused by alcohol in the metabolism, and has been proven to be highly effective," said MD Steve Scutt. "There really is nothing else like it."

A spokeswoman said scientific tests had shown the product, which comes in a blackcurrant flavour, was effective for at least 80% of the people who had tried it.

The ingredients combat acetaldehyde, a toxic substance produced by the body's breakdown of alcohol intake; free radicals that attack and destroy living cells and tissue; electrolyte imbalance caused by the loss of vital electrolytes along with the fluid lost; and dehydration.

The spokeswoman stressed that the product was designed for the aftermath of a glass of wine too many at a dinner party - not to provide a magic cure for the consequences of binge-drinking.

"We are not condoning irresponsible drinking," she added.

Head Start retails at £1.29 for a 500ml bottle.

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