Table of Contents
Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is making waves in the supplement world following recent research that has shown it could have hangover preventing properties.
As a result, a new market has emerged with supplements containing DHM to combat your hangover woes.
But does Dihdromyricetin have any side effects and is it safe to take?
In this article, we take a closer look at all the reported side effects from research studies to see if there are any negative reactions.
We’ll also look into what dose of Dihydromyricetin is more likely to cause side effects.
What is DHM used for?
DHM has been used in Asian traditional medicine for centuries to help settle upset stomachs and as a hangover cure.
It’s big business in countries like South Korea where hangover supplements containing DHM are readily available in food stores.
It’s only recently that this ancient hangover cure has been brought over to the west.
DHM is actually extracted from the Japanese raisin tree. Traditionally, it’s infused in tea to consume as a drink.
However, hangover supplements use much higher concentrations to fully utilize its hangover preventing properties.
With higher concentrations, comes more potential for side effects.
Coming up next we take a look at the research studies to see if any adverse effects were reported.
What are the side effects of Dihydromyricetin?
Interestingly, from looking at the published research papers, very few side effects have been reported with DHM.
Most of the studies carried out are in animals such as mice and rats.
For example, one study gave a high dose of DHM to rats for 14 days and found that there was no evidence of toxic damage. In fact, DHM seemed to improve liver function.
Overall there are only a few studies to date looking at DHMs side effect profile and so far no adverse problems have been reported.
It’s important to note that its difficult to draw definitive conclusions about DHM and side effects with such few studies evaluating this aspect.
There are several supplements containing DHM nowadays and we can also look at their customer reviews to see if anything is reported there.
A quick search on Amazon will show thousands of reviews. Looking through them, there are some reports of abdominal discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea.
However, there aren’t many customers that report these side effects.
Does DHM Interact with medications?
The major problems with herbal supplements are when there are interactions with prescribed medications.
For example, it’s well known that herbal supplements like garlic and St Johns Wort can have severe interactions with medications taken for depression or that thin your blood.
This is because some herbal supplements have powerful effects on liver enzymes that break down prescribed medications.
As a result, there’s a risk of developing medication-related toxicity.
At the time of writing, there are two studies which have looked into DHMs effect on liver enzymes in rats and found different results.
One carried out in rats showed the effect to be negligible.
However, another small study looking at the enzymes in human liver cells found it could have an effect.
It’s always important to discuss this with your doctor first and never to assume that you won’t experience interactions and side-effects.
How much is too much DHM?
At the time of writing, the studies so far have given rats DHM amounts equivalent to over 1500mg per dose.
For example, one study gave 22mg of DHM per kilo to rats.
Let’s say you weigh 70kg (155 lbs), this is equivalent to 1540mg of DHM.
To put this into perspective, most hangover supplements contain between 100-500mg of DHM.
So far, even at these high doses, no side effects have been reported.
It’s important to appreciate that you can’t really compare rats with humans. So we still need more research to find out what the maximum safe dose in humans is.
That being said, the doses used in hangover supplements nowadays are well within acceptable levels.
How to ensure DHM quality
When it comes to side effects with supplements, the problem usually arises from poor quality sources.
We place a lot of trust in supplement companies in the hope that they are producing a product that is safe for us to consume.
So how can you check the quality of DHM in your supplement is from a reputable source?
Well, firstly making sure that your supplement is produced in a certified GMP (Good manufacturing practice) plant.
Manufacturers who have the GMP license are rigorously vetted to check their production plants are safe and in-line with regulations.
GMP covers all aspects of production from the starting materials, premises, and equipment to the training and personal hygiene of staff.
Other than that, you can search the manufacturers on local authorities databases to check if have they’ve had any run-ins with local authorities such as the FDA in the US and MHRA in the UK.
Other than this, you can also just examine the ingredients label carefully yourself and see if everything is labeled clearly and the doses are not too high.
If you’re looking for safe sources, check out our article on where to buy DHM.
Anything else to consider?
At the end of the day, everyone is different and could react to a new ingredient like DHM in unexpected ways.
Generally speaking, DHM appears to be a safe ingredient to take. If you do experience side effects, it’s important to stop taking it and discuss with your Doctor.
As always, taking a supplement if you’re on prescribed medication is something to be extra cautious about.
DHM side effects conclusion
That brings us to the end of our look at DHM and its side effect profile.
From the research studies so far and customer reviews, it seems that DHM is generally safe to take.
That being said, more research needs to be done to fully confirm if DHM is safe to take.
Want to know more? Check out our Dihydromyricetin ultimate guide.
