--- source_url: https://hangovr180.com/science/dhm/bioavailability.md canonical_url: https://hangovr180.com/science/dhm/bioavailability generated_at: 2026-06-28T19:53:17Z build_id: ebfcfef page_type: science-leaf claim_ids: [SF-21, SF-02, SF-01] --- # DHM BIOAVAILABILITY *DHM is a powerful flavonoid with a real pharmacokinetic problem -- the gut absorbs only a small fraction, and that fact drives almost every formulation decision in the H180 dosing strategy.* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. ## The 4 Percent Number If you read enough DHM literature, one number keeps coming back. A pharmacokinetic review of DHM put the absolute oral bioavailability of standard-formulation DHM at approximately 4 percent in rats[1]. That means for every 100mg of DHM you swallow, only about 4mg actually makes it into circulation in usable form. The rest is broken down in the gut, never absorbed across the intestinal wall, or chemically degraded before it reaches the liver. The reasons are straightforward. DHM is poorly water-soluble. It is also chemically unstable in the moderately alkaline pH of the small intestine, where most absorption happens. The molecule has two strikes against it before it ever gets a shot at doing its job. ## Why the 4 Percent Is Not a Dealbreaker Low bioavailability is a problem you can engineer around in three ways: by raising the input dose, by improving the formulation so a higher fraction gets absorbed, or by combining the compound with a delivery agent that helps it cross cellular membranes. A 2022 review of DHM drug delivery strategies covered all three approaches across formulation chemistries -- lipid nanocarriers, gastric floating tablets, self-emulsifying systems[2]. The takeaway: each format change can roughly double or triple the bioavailability, so 4 percent isn't a hard ceiling, in the formulations that have been studied carefully at least. > **Claim [SF-21]:** Acts by promoting aldehyde and alcohol metabolism of foods. † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. There is also direct evidence that DHM, when administered orally, reaches concentrations in tissue that correlate with measurable biological effects. A 2021 mass-spec study identified intact DHM and its primary metabolites in mouse serum and brain tissue after oral dosing, with kinetics consistent with the behavioral effects researchers had been measuring for a decade[3]. So the compound is reaching the right places, even if a lot of the input dose is wasted along the way. ## How This Shapes the Formula > **Claim [SF-02]:** Supports overall liver health. † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The bioavailability constraint is the single biggest reason H180 uses 1,500mg of DHM per serving rather than the 100-300mg most products list. That dose isn't selected to be impressive on the label. It is selected to overcome the bioavailability haircut and reliably deliver enough usable DHM into circulation to cross the threshold where the enzyme system actually responds[4]. (this was the math that took the longest to land for me when I was building the formula, honestly.) We also pair DHM with fulvic acid, which functions in the formula as a cellular delivery agent. Fulvic acid has been studied as an enhancer of mineral and small-molecule absorption across cell membranes, and its role here is less about its own biological activity and more about helping DHM reach the inside of liver cells where ADH and ALDH live. The role of fulvic acid in the formula has its own dedicated page. ## The Honest Caveat DHM bioavailability research has been done mostly in rats. The human data is thinner -- most clinical work has used surrogate markers (serum DHM concentrations, hangover symptom scores) rather than direct measurement of intracellular DHM levels in liver biopsies, for the obvious reason that you cannot easily do that in healthy human volunteers. So the 4 percent number is a rat estimate, and the human number is probably in the same ballpark but not pinned down to the same precision. > **Claim [SF-01]:** Helps you feel fresh. † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. That uncertainty cuts both ways. It is one reason we run the input dose at 1,500mg -- there is enough margin to absorb whatever the actual human bioavailability turns out to be, even if it sits somewhat below what the rat number suggests. ## What This Page Is Not Claiming We are not claiming that 1,500mg of DHM produces 60mg of in-circulation DHM in every individual. Bioavailability varies with food intake, gastric pH, gut microbiome composition, and individual differences in transport machinery. What we are claiming is that the dose is chosen to work even in someone whose gut absorbs DHM poorly, and that the bioavailability constraint is a known and managed factor in the formula rather than an ignored one. For the upstream mechanism that makes the absorbed DHM actually do something useful, see [How DHM Works: The ADH/ALDH Pathway](/science/dhm/adh-aldh-pathway). For the cellular delivery side, see [DHM and Fulvic Acid -- The Delivery Mechanism](/science/dhm/dhm-fulvic-synergy). For what teh under-dosed DHM products on retail shelves miss as a result, see [the under-dosing problem](/science/dhm/under-dosing-problem). ## Citations 1. Zhang J, et al. [Dihydromyricetin -- A Review on Identification, Biological Activities, Chemical Stability, Metabolism and Bioavailability](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127391/). PMC7127391. 2. Zhang H, et al. [Strategic Developments in the Drug Delivery of Natural Product Dihydromyricetin -- Applications, Prospects, and Challenges](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9518266/). PMC9518266. 3. Silva J, et al. [Identification of Dihydromyricetin and Metabolites in Serum and Brain Associated with Acute Anti-Ethanol Intoxicating Effects in Mice](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8307506/). PMC8307506. 4. Shen Y, et al. [Dihydromyricetin As a Novel Anti-Alcohol Intoxication Medication](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3292407/). PMC3292407. ## Read Next - [DHM Dose-Response -- Why 1,500mg](/science/dhm/dose-response) - [Why Most DHM Supplements Are Under-Dosed](/science/dhm/under-dosing-problem) - [DHM and Fulvic Acid -- The Delivery Mechanism](/science/dhm/dhm-fulvic-synergy) - [DHM -- The Hub](/science/dhm) **Written by Mark Scott** - Co-Formulator, Hangovr180® | Co-Inventor, [US Application 18/698,010](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250073201A1) Mark Scott conducted approximately 150 personal formulation tests over six months to develop the H180 ingredient combination. [Editorial standards](/editorial-standards) --- These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Hangovr180® is a dietary supplement. Individual results may vary. Consult your healthcare provider before use if you have any medical conditions or take medications. [US Application 18/698,010](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250073201A1). Canonical: https://hangovr180.com/science/dhm/bioavailability