The dietary supplement most commonly known as Dihydromyricetin (DHM), but also referred to as Ampelopsin as it is a type of flavonoid extracted from Ampelopsis grossedentata, promises a number of benefits (and some drawbacks) related to alcohol consumption. Let’s go ahead and deep-dive into what, exactly, those pro’s and cons are.

Main Benefits of Dihydromyricetin
Research has shown that the  DHM is something of an “alcohol antidote” as it has been proven to reduce and prevent many of the symptoms related to alcohol consumption. These include hangovers and alcohol withdrawals. It even reduces the effects of intoxication .

While many compounds have been found to have similar benefits, Dihydromyricetin alone provides these benefits completely safely. It’s the only hangover/alcoholism antidote currently on the market that comes without side effects .

Let’s take a look at the main benefits of DHM:

Hangover Prevention
Solid research points to Dihydromyricetin as the only supplement currently available that has the ability to prevent hangovers. DHM prevents hangovers in the following ways:

Preventing Acetaldehyde Build-Up
Acetaldehyde forms as the body breaks down alcohol. The extremely toxic compound is estimated as 20 to 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself. Indeed, many of the most common hangover symptoms (including headaches, nausea, and general sensitivity) are attributed to Acetaldehyde.
The Dihydromyricetin supplement improves the liver’s ability to break down Acetaldehyde at a faster rate. When you wake up from a night of heavy drinking, there will be less of it in your body. You will therefore experience less severe hangover symptoms.
Reducing Minor Alcohol Withdrawal
Long-term alcoholics experience horrible withdrawals when they attempt to quit drinking. But minor alcohol withdrawal happens each time you sober up, even if you only drink once in a blue moon.
Dihydromyricetin reduces the effects of minor alcohol withdrawal. It affects the brain’s GABA receptors to return them to your baseline sooner. This prevents classic hangover symptoms including anxiety, mental fogginess, and sleep deprivation.

One of the most interesting benefits of Dihydromyricetin is its influence on sobriety. It increases how fast you sober up after alcohol consumption. DHM sobers you up more quickly by:

Improving Liver Function
Dihydromyricetin improves liver function after alcohol consumption. It helps the liver process alcohol more quickly and efficiently, removing it from your system sooner.
Reducing Impact on Brain
Alcohol’s effects are caused largely in part by acting on the GABA receptors in your brain. This leads to common effects of alcohol consumption like lowered inhibitions and slurred speech.
Dihydromyricetin reduces the impact of alcohol on your brain’s GABA receptors. It makes you act and feel less drunk than your current blood alcohol content (BAC) warrants.
Prevents Drunkenness
Dihydromyricetin is most often taken after a night of drinking. But it can also be taken beforehand to prevent drunkenness.

The reason that Dihydromyricetin prevents drunkenness is the same reason that it helps you sober up quickly. It helps your liver process alcohol faster and reduces its impact on your brain. This greatly blunts the effects that alcohol has on you.

Protects Your Liver and Brain
Sure, Dihydromyricetin is useful as a “hangover cure” or ‘anti-intoxication antidote,’ But the real beauty of DHM is that it keeps your body safe while drinking.

Countless studies have shown that Dihydromyricetin protects your liver and brain from damage. It returns both organs to their normal states more quickly, allowing regular processing to begin sooner. The supplement also removes dangerous compounds from both the liver and the brain.[6]

Effects on Subjects Suffering From Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal is painful and often extremely difficult. Dihydromyricetin eases the withdrawal symptoms and even reduces cravings. Though research into this particular benefit is still new, preliminary studies show that Dihydromyricetin reduces anxiety and susceptibility to seizures caused by withdrawal .

Overall, there is no denying that the Dihydromyricetin is, in fact, a beneficial supplement whether used in recreational circumstances (as a “hangover cure” or sobering agent) or as a medicinal tool (to help with alcohol withdrawal cases, for example). Future research is only set to open up more possibilities for DHMs use.

Anti-Cancer Uses of Dihydromyricetin
In fact, there is some pretty compelling research showing that dihydromyricetin has potential to assist with a non-alcohol related condition called Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a condition which exhibits one of the highest incidences of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and presents the predominant subtype of primary liver cancer . As DHM exhibits a protective ability