Dihydromyricetin, or DHM, is a plant compound that researchers have studied in relation to alcohol, mostly in animals. The animal work is interesting, the human work is thin, and the two should not be confused.

We make a pre-drink supplement that contains DHM, so we start with what each kind of study found and where the evidence runs out.

What is dihydromyricetin?

Dihydromyricetin is a flavonoid, a type of plant compound. It is isolated from Hovenia dulcis, sometimes called the oriental raisin tree, and from Ampelopsis grossedentata, the plant behind vine tea.

Hovenia dulcis grows mainly in East Asia and has a long history in traditional folk use. A traditional use is not a clinical finding, so we treat it only as background.

What does the animal research suggest?

In rats and mice, DHM changed several measures related to alcohol. These are preclinical findings, meaning they come from animals and cells, and they cannot tell us what happens in a person.

The 2012 UCLA rat study

In 2012, a UCLA group reported that DHM, given to rats by injection at 1 mg per kg, counteracted signs of acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal. The same paper reported that DHM reduced voluntary alcohol intake in rats. In cell experiments, DHM interacted with GABA-A receptors, which are brain receptors that alcohol acts on.

The study was in rats and used injections rather than capsules. It was not a test of a supplement in people.

The 2020 and 2021 USC mouse studies

Two later studies from the University of Southern California used mice fed alcohol chronically (eight weeks in the 2021 study). DHM was again given by injection. In the 2020 paper, DHM-treated mice had less liver fat and lower liver injury markers than untreated alcohol-fed mice. Their ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were also lower, and the authors reported higher expression of ethanol-metabolizing enzymes.

The 2021 paper looked at mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells, in the livers of alcohol-fed mice. DHM-treated mice had higher liver ATP and markers of mitochondrial health. These results come from mouse tissue and do not show how a person's liver handles a drink.

What human research exists?

Human research on DHM and hangovers is limited. The trials we found tested Hovenia dulcis fruit extract, which contains many compounds. None of them tested purified DHM against placebo in drinkers.

Hovenia dulcis extract versus purified DHM

Purified DHM is one isolated compound at a stated amount. A Hovenia dulcis extract is a mixture, and the amount of DHM in it may not be stated. A result from the extract cannot be credited to DHM alone.

• 2017 trial. Twenty-six healthy men selected for a specific genetic profile drank 50 g of alcohol as soju with either 2,460 mg of a standardized Hovenia dulcis fruit extract or a matched placebo. It was a crossover design. Blood alcohol, acetaldehyde and total hangover scores peaked at one hour with no difference between groups. Hangover symptom scores later declined more in the extract group. Inflammation markers also differed between groups.
• Two 2024 trials. Two crossover, placebo-controlled trials in Korea tested drinks made with Hovenia dulcis extract, alone or combined with another plant extract or a yeast glutathione extract. One had 30 participants and the other had 25. Some blood alcohol readings were lower in the extract groups at certain time points, and one trial reported lower gastrointestinal symptom scores. Several authors are employees of a pharmaceutical company, and one holds equity in a company, according to the papers' disclosures.

What these trials cannot tell us

They cannot tell us that DHM works in people. The samples were small, the participants were young adults, and the products were beverages made from an extract. The 2017 trial studied men with one specific genotype, so the result may not apply to everyone. A lower blood alcohol reading is also not the same as being less impaired or feeling better the next day.

The wider evidence base is cautious too. A 2005 BMJ review of eight trials found no compelling evidence that the interventions tested prevent or treat a hangover. It named moderation as the surest way to avoid one. A 2017 systematic review of newer controlled studies found that some products improved some symptoms, and that none of the methods worked for all symptoms.

Human studies of DHM outside of drinking

Purified or concentrated DHM has been given to people in trials that had nothing to do with alcohol. A 2015 randomized trial in 60 adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease gave DHM capsules or placebo for three months. A 2019 trial in 80 adults with type 2 diabetes gave a vine tea preparation containing 970 mg of DHM per day, or a placebo, for one month. Both measured blood markers in people with a medical condition. They say nothing about drinking.

How DHM might relate to alcohol metabolism

The reason researchers look at DHM is its possible link to how the body processes alcohol. The body converts ethanol to acetaldehyde, then converts acetaldehyde to acetate. A 2020 review of human studies found that faster elimination of ethanol was associated with less severe hangovers, which is why metabolism draws research attention.

The mouse data above is where DHM enters this story: treated mice showed higher expression of ethanol-metabolizing enzymes and lower ethanol and acetaldehyde levels. That is a hypothesis worth testing in people. It has not been confirmed in a large, well-controlled human trial of purified DHM.

Is there a recommended DHM dose?

There is no established human dose of DHM for alcohol-related use. The animal studies dosed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, mostly by injection, and those numbers cannot be converted into a capsule amount for a person.

The human extract trial used 2,460 mg of extract, but that figure describes the whole extract, not the DHM in it. The vine tea trial gave 970 mg of DHM a day, but in people with diabetes and for a different purpose. The fatty-liver capsule trial used 150 mg capsules, two twice daily, for three months. Neither figure is a dose for people who drink.

None of these studies was designed to find a dose for people who drink. A label's DHM number is a fact about the product, not evidence of what amount works.

Safety and who should check first

Human safety data for DHM is limited. The abstracts we reviewed do not establish long-term safety. Adults who drink should be 21 or older, keep it moderate, and never drive after drinking. A supplement does not change how impaired you are.

If you are pregnant or nursing, take prescription medication, or have a medical condition, especially a liver condition, ask a healthcare professional before taking any DHM supplement.

DHM in First Round

First Round contains 1,200 mg of DHM per serving, along with 300 mg of L-Glutathione and 450 mg of L-Cysteine HCl Anhydrous. All 13 ingredients are disclosed at their doses, with no proprietary blends. You can see each one on the First Round facts page.

We state the DHM amount so you can judge the label yourself, not as proof of benefit. First Round will not prevent intoxication. A supplement does not change how impaired you are.

To see how glutathione fits in, read our explainer on glutathione and alcohol. For the timing and directions, see when to take a pre-drink supplement. If the category is new to you, start with what a pre-drink supplement is, or look at the First Round product page.

What we do not know

The biggest open question is whether purified DHM changes how people feel the day after drinking. No placebo-controlled trial has tested it.

• Whether purified DHM changes hangover symptoms in people. We found no placebo-controlled trial that tested it.
• Which compound, or combination of compounds, in Hovenia dulcis extract produced any effect seen in the extract trials.
• What oral dose of DHM, if any, is meaningful in people, and how much of it the body absorbs.
• Whether results seen in one genotype or age group apply to others.
• Whether long-term, daily use is safe at the doses sold in supplements.

Frequently asked questions

Does DHM work for hangovers?

The evidence is not strong enough to say. Rat and mouse studies report changes in alcohol-related measures, but animal findings do not establish a human benefit. The human trials we found tested Hovenia dulcis extract, were small, and were not of purified DHM. A 2005 systematic review found no compelling evidence for any hangover intervention.

What is a typical DHM dose?

No dose has been established for people who drink. Animal studies used milligrams per kilogram of body weight, often by injection, which does not convert to a capsule amount. A human trial in people with diabetes used a vine tea preparation with 970 mg of DHM a day, for a different purpose.

Is DHM safe daily?

We cannot say. Human safety data is limited, and the longest DHM trials we reviewed lasted one to three months, the hangover trials were single sessions, and none was designed to establish long-term safety. Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, taking medication or living with a medical condition should ask a healthcare professional before taking DHM or any supplement.

Does DHM affect the liver?

No human study we reviewed tested whether DHM affects the liver in people who drink. In mice fed alcohol, injected DHM was associated with less liver fat. That is animal data and does not show a liver benefit in people. A small trial in people with fatty liver disease measured blood markers, which is a different situation. Ask a healthcare professional about any liver concern.

What is the difference between DHM and Hovenia dulcis extract?

DHM is one compound, a flavonoid. Hovenia dulcis extract is a mixture of many compounds from the fruit, and its DHM content may vary by product. Human hangover trials so far used the extract, so their results cannot be credited to DHM alone. Purified DHM has mostly been studied in animals.

How we wrote this

This article was written by the Supreme Balance Editorial Team. Supreme Balance makes First Round, a pre-drink dietary supplement, so we have a commercial interest in this topic. We link our sources below, we describe what the research does and does not show, and nothing here is medical advice. Last updated November 1, 2026.