Supplement analysis backed by scientific evidence · PT

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Limited evidenceGeneral health

Dihydromyricetin (DHM)

DHM (ampelopsin, from Hovenia dulcis) reversed alcohol intoxication and reduced drinking in rodents, which is why it is sold as a hangover pill — but there is essentially no published human hangover trial. Its only decent human data are for fatty liver, not for hangovers.

What the science says

  • The hangover claim rests on rodent work, not human trials Limited evidence

    The landmark study showing DHM counteracts acute alcohol intoxication, reduces withdrawal signs and lowers voluntary ethanol intake was done in rats, using intraperitoneal doses around 1 mg/kg acting at GABA-A receptors. No adequately powered, placebo-controlled human trial of DHM for hangover severity has been published, so the mechanism is plausible and the human effect is unmeasured.

  • The best human evidence is for fatty liver markers, not hangovers Moderate evidence

    In a randomised controlled trial in 60 adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, DHM 300 mg twice daily for 3 months lowered ALT and AST, improved fasting glucose and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and reduced markers including LDL cholesterol and inflammatory cytokines versus placebo. That is a different population, endpoint and duration from a night out.

  • It does not accelerate alcohol clearance in any human-verified way Limited evidence

    Rodent work suggests DHM increases alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and speeds ethanol and acetaldehyde clearance, and pharmacokinetic studies in mice identify DHM and metabolites in brain tissue after dosing. Human blood-alcohol data are lacking, so any product implying you can drink more safely is making a claim its own evidence does not support.

  • Oral bioavailability is poor Moderate evidence

    DHM has low water solubility and low oral bioavailability — commonly cited at around 4% in animal pharmacokinetic work — which is why formulation research focuses on nanoparticles and complexes. Typical 300-600 mg capsules may deliver far less active compound than the label implies.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseHuman RCT dose: 300 mg twice daily (600 mg/day) for 3 months, in NAFLD. Hangover products typically supply 300-1,200 mg per serving taken before or after drinking, a regimen with no clinical trial behind it. Hovenia dulcis fruit extract products vary widely in DHM content and are often not standardised at all.
SafetyShort-term human use in the 3-month NAFLD trial was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported, but the total human safety database is very small. Because DHM acts on GABA-A receptors, additive or interfering effects with alcohol, benzodiazepines, z-drugs and other sedatives are theoretically possible and unstudied. It is also an inhibitor of some drug-metabolising enzymes in vitro, so interaction risk cannot be excluded. Not studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Most importantly, treat any product marketed as letting you drink more or drive sooner as unsafe — nothing here changes blood alcohol concentration in a verified way, and no supplement makes heavy drinking safe.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Nutricost, DHM, 350 mg, 90 Capsules

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