What is DHM?
DHM can be viewed as an “alcohol antidote”, as it has been proven to reduce many of the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Most importantly, it has the ability to prevent hangovers after a night of drinking. [1] DHM is a compound extracted from Hovenia Dulcis, a Japanese raisin tree, and has been used in traditional medicine throughout China, Japan, and Korea for hundreds of years. [2] DHM was not commonly used outside of Asia until 2012 when a study at the UCLA School of Medicine involving mice made it clear that DHM can successfully combat the negative effects of alcohol. [3]
What are the Health Benefits of DHM?
As the liver breaks down alcohol in your body, several compounds that are more toxic than alcohol itself are formed. [4] Enzymes in the liver metabolize these compounds to harmless byproducts, which are then flushed out of your body. [5] When you drink an excessive amount of alcohol, these enzymes cannot work fast enough, leading to a toxin buildup, resulting in a miserable hangover. DHM improves the liver’s ability to break down these toxins more rapidly. [6]
Alcohol has very powerful effects on the brain. Right after consuming alcohol, the balance between two chemicals in the brain, Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Glutamate, is disrupted. [7] These two chemicals are responsible for most of the effects that alcohol has on your thought processes. [8] Alcohol binds to GABA receptors, leading to a loss of motor controls and lowered inhibition. This makes the brain think there is an imbalance, and as an attempt to restore this balance, it reduces the amount of GABA in your body. After alcohol is metabolized in the body, there is not enough of this chemical left in the brain, resulting in negative side effects such as headaches, anxiety, and agitation. DHM interferes with alcohol’s ability to block these GABA receptors, allowing your brain to be fully functional much more quickly after drinking.
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