Dihydromyricetin: Saying Goodbye to Hangovers?
Dihydromyricetin is the undercover answer to one of the questions people ask themselves at some point or another:
How do I stop getting hangovers?
To preface, this supplement is not intended to be taken daily if you are under 30. Take it right before you consume alcohol or during consumption, and your future self will thank you.
Let's walk through your night. First, you consume alcohol and start to feel its effects: the serotonin boost, the lowered inhibitions, and the warmth. This occurs because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that increases both dopamine and serotonin production. However, throughout the night, the alcohol slowly gets broken down into acetaldehyde, the molecule responsible for all the nasty symptoms like headaches and nausea. Acetaldehyde is incredibly toxic; if you can feel the physical manifestations of the damage it does, imagine the havoc it causes cellularly.
Alcohol isn't the problem when it comes to hangovers; it's acetaldehyde. To continue the progression, acetaldehyde eventually gets broken down into acetate, which is completely harmless. So, logically, if someone wanted to lessen their hangover symptoms, they would want to speed up the rate at which acetaldehyde gets broken down into acetate to minimize damage.
At this point, you may have guessed it. That’s exactly what dihydromyricetin does. It increases the activity of the enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde, which in turn gets it out of your system faster.
In one research paper, the conclusion drawn is that the use of dihydromyricetin was able to
"reduce EtOH-induced liver injury via changes in lipid metabolism, enhancement of EtOH metabolism, and suppressing inflammation responses to promote liver health"
within individuals with excess alcohol consumption (Silva, 2020).
If you’re interested in curing your hangovers, start looking into some dihydromyricetin supplements. Ensure you review the dose and bioavailability. This supplement, in particular, is commonly packaged as a “hangover cure“and upcharged, so be careful. I’ll link my recommended type below.
References
Silva, J., Yu, X., Moradian, R., Folk, C., Spatz, M. H., Kim, P., Bhatti, A. A., Davies, D. L., & Liang, J. (2020). Dihydromyricetin Protects the Liver via Changes in Lipid Metabolism and Enhanced Ethanol Metabolism. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44(5), 1046–1060. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14326
