Everything You Need to Know About Dihydromyricetin

What is DHM?

Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is an organic compound naturally found in the Japanese Raisin Tree.  It’s often called by it’s Latin classification Hovenia Dulcis, and is found all over Asia.  As a deciduous tree, it grows up to 12m tall, and bears a berry-like fruit that tastes similar to raisins, from which it gets it’s name.

The molecule we know as Dihydromyricetin is also called Ampelopsin, and is extracted using an ethanol-based solution from the bark of the Hovenia Dulcis tree, and minimally processed before it’s dehydrated and turned into a powder ready to be purified (take a look at our COA here).  We test that resulting powder and turn it into capsules with absolutely no fillers, and we also sell it as in it’s bulk powder form for those looking for larger doses or a cheaper way to take it.

Should I take it before or after drinking?

When you take dihydromyricetin really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.  So, for example, researchers found that taking a relatively large dose before drinking it reduced the circulating levels of alcohol in the blood.  For most people however, we recommend taking it immediately after drinking which works very well to reduce the hangover symptoms usually felt the next day and stops the GABA rebound effect that will often wake you up in the middle of the night or give you anxiety the next day.

Does Dihydromyricetin work?

Yes.  For both reducing intoxication, and for reducing the effects of a hangover and supporting the liver, there is ample scientific evidence.  The question really is, at what dose does it work?  And for that the answer is slightly different and varies by the number of drinks you’ve had, their alcohol content, whether you’ve eaten and so on.  It also depends on what you’re looking to achieve with DHM, since reducing intoxication requires significantly higher doses, than when taken after drinking to eliminate hangovers.  We cover all of these options in the ‘dosage‘ section further down the page.

Will DHM stop me getting drunk?

Not really.  DHM will reduce the impact alcohol has on your central nervous system (by down-regulating GABA transmission) which means you may be more co-ordinated and less likely to have slurred speech if you take Dihydromyricetin when consuming alcohol.

Will it sober me up faster?

Theoretically, yes.  Doses to reduce circulating alcohol content need to be relatively large — in the 3g+ range for humans — and you still won’t be safe to drive no matter what, and doing so would be illegal.  Large doses of the supplement will indeed make you feel less drunk, but its not certain whether this is because the anti-alcohol effect is strong enough by itself or whether the additional reduction in the neurotransmitter GABA provides an additive effect.

We find the cheapest way to achieve that is by buying powder instead of capsules if that’s the effect you’re looking for:

Does Dihydromyricetin cause anxiety?

No.  The way Ampelopsin interacts with the GABAergic system leads people to mistakenly think that it might cause or worsen anxiety, but that isn’t often the case.

Dihydromyricetin doesn’t indiscriminately lower GABA in the brain (a neurotransmitter responsible for the los of motor function and inhibition — as well as the reason blackouts occur) but instead attenuates high levels acting as a partial agonist.  DHM subtle action on GABA actually prevents a rebound effect which exacerbates anxiety and cortisol whereby because alcohol introduces so much GABA into the brain, the body stops producing it’s own and when the high levels induced by the drink dissipates we’re left with very little in the body and it’s this that causes the anxiety after drinking.

Dihydromyricetin prevents this by almost entirely eliminating the rebound effect noticed after drinking.  This is also the cause of waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep after a night out.  The increase in cortisol many of us experience as part of the rebound effect will wake us up and prevent us from going back to sleep, DHM prevents this and allows for a great night’s sleep even after getting wasted.

How much should I take?

300-4,000mg

As mentioned above, figuring out how much DHM you should dose takes a little thought but it’s relatively easy.  There are two main reasons to take dihydromyricetin, and they both require slightly different dosages.  The following recommendations are based only on anecdotal research since conversion from rat models is unreliable, but thankfully DHM is regularly taken by many thousands of people so we can tell pretty accurately how much is required.  As always with supplements, we insist you consult your doctor before taking anything, especially in combination with alcohol.

Before drinking (to reduce intoxication):  2g+

After drinking (to prevent hangovers):  100mg per drink
*where 1 drink roughly equals 2 units

Is Dihydromyricetin Safe?

DHM has been used in Asian countries for hundreds of years as a hangover cure and to sober people up, and is considered safe for humans even in larger doses of several grams.  The extract of the tree it comes from, the Japanese Raisin Tree, has been given to mice to test the lethal dose, and half the mice in a given population will die when given 1.4g per kilogram of bodyweight.  Conversions from rat pharmacology to human are imprecise, but can be estimated using the HED ratio of 16%, giving us a safe upper limit dosage for a 70kg person of 15.68g.

Dihydromyricetin acts on the GABA receptors, and while we’ve explored the reasons it doesn’t effect or induce anxiety after drinking, if you are suffering from a condition that effects your GABA production, uptake, or other related neurobiology — or are taking medication or supplements that affect the GABAgenic system — please speak to a doctor before taking any DHM supplement.

DHM Reviews

Tens of thousands of people rely on dihydromyricetin when they go out drinking, and has been used for centuries as an Asian herbal hangover remedy.  We’ve collected some of the most interesting and observant reviews from all over the web to give you a wider perspective of how people feel about DHM and it’s effects on hangovers.

There are several hangover products on Amazon containing DHM, often with dozens or hundreds of reviews, including FlyBy and Sobur which are both rated higher than 4 stars at the time of writing.  Below are a selection of reviews from both our own customers, and products listed on Amazon that are designed for combatting hangovers and contain Dihydromyricetin as a main ingredient:

“After a long day of drinking, I took 2 pills and drank plenty of water before bed. I think the pills made me a little more thirsty than usual throughout the night (which meant I drank more water=a good thing) but when I woke up–I felt 97% healthy!”

“I have to say, the product worked. While I was by no means 100% the next morning, I would say the intensity of symptoms was reduced by at least 80%. No headache, nausea was mild and controllable, and I was even able to get up and face shopping the local warehouse store at 8AM. I did still have some “swimming” when I would turn my head, but overall it was a big improvement and I felt more or less ‘normal’ by noon. I also did not have any of the usual GI symptoms that I normally get after even a night of not-very-heavy drinking. I look forward to having this with me on my upcoming trip and expect it will be more effective there, as I don’t usually drink anywhere near as heavily as I did on the “test” evening.”

“I discovered these very recently, and I was very skeptical about them. Holy moly do they work! I get drunk on half a beer, and two glasses of wine, once a week, will give me a terrible hangover. However, every single time I’ve followed the prescription, 3 before drinking, 3 after drinking, I’ve had no hangovers. Also a lot of the post-alcohol symptoms are greatly reduced. The puffy face, bloodshot eyes, etc.”

“I have always been very sensitive to hangovers — I got them worse than my friends, even in my 20’s. And of course it gets worse with age. Lately I’ve been to the point where I can hardly enjoy two drinks with dinner, because there’s a decent chance of a headache before long.
Thank goodness for DHM! I’m able to enjoy a few drinks again and be fine. It definitely shifted the needle for me. I figure people who have average sensitivity to hangovers would do even better with it.”

Can I buy Dihydromyricetin in Holland and Barretts?

Unfortunately not.  DHM is classified as a Medicinal Herb by the MHRA and not everywhere is permitted to sell it.  Holland and Barrett doesn’t currently have the license to sell it in the UK (as of March 2018).

Can I buy DHM in CVS or GNC?

CVS doesn’t yet stock any products with Dihydromyricetin extract / Japanese Raisin Tree extract in (July 2018), but you can always get in touch with your local store to find up to date information.

GNC doesn’t stock any DHM products either as of July 2018, but you can call them to request new products and find out if there’s any updates.

Buy DHM Online

We sell dihydromyricetin capsules and powder here on this site, shipped from within the EU with excellent fast delivery times to anywhere in the world in under a week.

There are also combination products available online that contain DHM along with other liver supporting ingredients and vitamin and electrolyte replenishing ingredients, such as Sobur which contains NAC, Vitamin C, and plenty of B vitamins.  It’s available from their store or Amazon US.