Hepalyse W
ヘパリーゼ WThe brown bottle on every konbini fridge shelf — Zeria's liver-support drink, part of a line that's been at Japanese pharmacies since 1968.
- Ships
- Cold-chain from Osaka · arrives in 2–4 days
- Returns
- 30 days, free return postage, unopened packs
- Card
- Authorized now · only charged if shipment clears
What Hepalyse W is
Hepalyse W is a 100 ml liquid supplement sold across Japan in pharmacies, train-station kiosks, and every major convenience store chain. The Hepalyse line from Zeria dates to 1968; the W variant — with turmeric curcumin and piperin for absorption added to the pork-liver-extract base — launched in November 2011. Each bottle contains enzyme-hydrolysed pork liver extract standardized to 100 mg, turmeric curcumin at 45 mg, a trace amount of piperin from black pepper to support curcumin absorption, and a B-complex vitamin stack (niacin 20 mg, B₂ 5 mg, B₆ 5 mg). It's built around a single category — liver-adjacent nutritional support — and has held that lane for decades. We ship the original Japanese 10-bottle retail pack, untouched apart from a small English structure/function label added at our US fulfillment partner before it goes out the door.
Where it sits in Japan
In Japan, Hepalyse sits in a product category Japanese people simply call "drinks for the liver" (肝臓ドリンク). You reach for it before a long dinner, during a work offsite, or at 6am when someone at the karaoke box realises they have a meeting in four hours. It lives on the same konbini cooler shelf as Lipovitan D, Ukon no Chikara, and Real Gold — not as the strongest or cheapest, but as the "adult, slightly serious" choice. Zeria sells the full line (Hepalyse Plus II, Hepalyse Pro) through pharmacy-only channels; the W (standing for "White") is the OTC bottle stocked everywhere.
Inside the bottle
Each 100 ml bottle's active panel: pork liver extract (enzyme-hydrolysed to peptides and amino acids, 100 mg standardized), turmeric-derived curcumin at 45 mg, piperin in trace amounts to support curcumin absorption, niacin 20 mg, riboflavin (B₂) 5 mg, pyridoxine HCl (B₆) 5 mg. The liver extract isn't the raw organ — it's a hydrolysate, meaning the protein is pre-digested by enzymes into smaller peptides and free amino acids that Zeria standardizes per-batch. Curcumin is known to have poor oral bioavailability on its own; the piperin addition is Zeria's nod to a well-studied absorption lever, though the amount here is labelled as "trace" rather than a standardized dose.
About Zeria Pharmaceutical
Zeria Pharmaceutical was founded in 1955 in Tokyo, originally as Zeria Yakuhin Kenkyusho, and trades on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 4559. It is a mid-cap Japanese pharmaceutical company — Zeria manufactures prescription drugs for gastroenterology and orthopedics alongside its consumer-health line. The Hepalyse line launched with Hepalyse Tablets in 1968; the modern Hepalyse W beverage (the 100 ml bottle YOAKE ships) came in November 2011 as a reformulation adding curcumin and piperin to the pork-liver-extract base. The consumer pharmacy division is a smaller revenue line that supports the manufacturing base for Zeria's prescription products.
How we source and ship it
We buy Hepalyse W in case quantities directly from Zeria's wholesale distribution partners in Japan, not through Amazon resellers or parallel-import channels. Boxes arrive at our Osaka consolidation point in the original Japanese cartons, with lot numbers and best-before dates as printed at the factory. We fly them via cold-chain air freight to LAX (transit time 2–3 days at controlled temperature), then a US-based 3PL applies a small English supplement-facts overlabel — required by FDA for US retail sale — and ships the full unbroken retail pack to your address. No decanting, no repackaging, no re-dating.
What this product is not
Hepalyse W is classified as a dietary supplement and functional beverage in the US. It is not a drug and has not been approved or evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Statements about liver support are structure/function claims — they describe how the nutrients in the product are intended to support a normal structure or function of the body, not to remedy a specific condition. Contains pork-derived ingredients; not suitable for vegetarian, vegan, halal, or kosher diets. Consult a healthcare professional before use if you have any medical condition or are taking medication. Not recommended for pregnant or nursing persons, or individuals under 20.
What’s actually in each bottle.
Sugar · Acidulant (citric acid) · Natural pineapple flavor · Water
- · Contains pork (liver-derived)
Values per 100 ml bottle, from the Japanese product label. Complete Japanese supplement-facts panel ships with every pack; US English overlabel added at our 3PL before dispatch.
Questions about Hepalyse W
- How is Hepalyse W positioned in Japan?
- In Japan it's categorized as a 肝臓ドリンク ("liver drink") — an OTC nutritional supplement and functional beverage — alongside similar products from Zeria's line and competing brands. It is not marketed there as a cure, treatment, or preventative for any condition. The positioning we use in the US mirrors that — supportive nutrition, not a remedy. We do not make claims beyond what the Japanese label says.
- What exactly is "pork liver extract"?
- It's an enzyme-hydrolysed porcine liver ingredient. The raw liver tissue is treated with digestive enzymes to break down its proteins into smaller peptides and free amino acids, which are then standardized by weight per serving (100 mg per bottle). It is not whole liver, liver meal, or a homeopathic preparation — it is a defined peptide/amino-acid mixture used in Japan since the 1950s as a nutritional ingredient.
- Why is Hepalyse in small 100 ml bottles and not a capsule?
- The liquid format was the original delivery mechanism in 1961 and became the category standard in Japan. Liquids absorb faster than tablets, which matters for a product commonly taken shortly before a social event. Zeria does sell a capsule version (Hepalyse Plus II) through Japanese pharmacies, but the W line is specifically the ready-to-drink shelf product.
- Does it contain caffeine?
- No. Hepalyse W is caffeine-free. Lipovitan D (a different product in our shelf) contains 50 mg caffeine per bottle — Hepalyse does not.
- How is Hepalyse W different from Ukon no Chikara?
- They're in different product categories. Hepalyse W is a liver-support drink built around pork liver extract and B vitamins. Ukon no Chikara is a turmeric beverage (ウコン = turmeric) built around curcumin and House Foods' proprietary bisacuron compound. They share some overlap in curcumin content but target different positioning in Japan — Hepalyse is "adult pharmaceutical" and Ukon no Chikara is "functional konbini beverage."
- Is this authentic Japanese product?
- Yes. We buy by the pallet from Zeria's wholesale distribution channels in Japan. The 10-bottle box that leaves Osaka is the exact same retail pack stocked in Japanese convenience stores — same label, same lot number format, same best-before date as printed at the factory. The only addition before it reaches you is a small English supplement-facts overlabel applied by our US 3PL for FDA compliance.
- When should I take it?
- Zeria's Japanese label positions it as a daily liver-support drink; many customers in Japan take one bottle before or during a meal. We are not authorized to make usage claims tied to alcohol consumption in the US market. Follow the dosage on the product label (one bottle per day) and consult a healthcare professional if you are uncertain.
- Can I buy a single bottle rather than the 10-pack?
- No. We only ship the original, unopened 10-bottle Japanese retail pack. Breaking packs to sell singles would require relabelling each individual bottle for US retail compliance — a cost that would roughly double the per-bottle price. Full-pack-only is how the economics work.
Three more packs from the same pharmacy shelf.
Ukon no Chikaraウコンの力 · House Foods$32.00 →
Alpitanアルピタン · Kobayashi Pharmaceutical$28.00 →
Lipovitan DリポビタンD · Taisho Pharmaceutical$39.00 →
The Full Shelf — one pack of each, $151.00.
Save $17.00 vs buying individually. One bigger parcel, one cold-chain run.