What Fulvic Acid Is
Fulvic acid is one of two main fractions of humic substances, the other being humic acid. Both come from the breakdown of plant and microbial matter in soil over geological timescales. Fulvic acids are the smaller and more water-soluble of the two -- typical molecular weights between roughly 0.5 and 2 kilodaltons, compared to 50 to 100 kilodaltons for humic acids. The smaller size, the carboxyl and phenolic functional groups, and the resulting chelation behavior are what give fulvic acid its biological role1.
For the long version, see What Is Fulvic Acid. For the chemistry that distinguishes fulvic from humic, see Fulvic Acid vs. Humic Acid.
Why It Is in the Formula
Energize your cells with improved mitochondrial function.†
† 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.
Fulvic acid does not appear in many alcohol-recovery supplements. It is in H180 for one specific reason: it helps the other two ingredients actually get into cells. The chelation chemistry that fulvic acid uses to bind metal ions in soil is the same chemistry it uses to bind small organic molecules and carry them across cell membranes. (this was the ingredient I had to be talked into for a long time, because the supplement-aisle marketing around fulvic acid is so frequently nonsense, until I actually read the chelation chemistry literature.)
For DHM in particular, fulvic acid seems to do two things: its chelating groups appear to protect the DHM molecule from breaking down in the gut, and the fulvic-DHM complex appears to cross the gut wall more easily than DHM alone. I should be plain about the evidence here. The published data on fulvic acid as a carrier for flavonoids like DHM is thinner than the data on it as a carrier for minerals, and this was the part of the formula that took the longest to validate. Breaking down alcohol also uses up NAD+, which the mitochondria have to regenerate, so mitochondrial support matters more as the drinks add up. DHM and Fulvic Acid -- The Delivery Mechanism has the full account.
For the cellular transport mechanism in detail, see Fulvic Acid Cellular Transport. For how this specifically helps DHM, see DHM and Fulvic Acid -- The Delivery Mechanism.
Mitochondrial Effects
Boosts your cell's energy factories.†
† 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.
Fulvic acid also has a direct effect on mitochondrial respiration. A 1987 study showed humic substances stimulate respiration in rat liver mitochondria at moderate concentrations2. The mechanism involves a mild uncoupling of the electron transport chain that lowers ROS production while keeping cellular energy output reasonable. This matters in an alcohol context because ethanol metabolism stresses mitochondria heavily, in the soil-chemistry and oral drug delivery literature, the chelation-assisted absorption story is consistent at least.
Supports mitochondrial biogenesis and energy production.†
† 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.
For the mitochondrial story in detail, see Fulvic Acid and Mitochondrial Support.
Purity and Dose
The fulvic acid in H180 is sourced at 90 percent purity and dosed at 150mg per serving as dry powder. The 150mg figure is where our formulation testing settled. A 2020 toxicological assessment of fulvic acid found no significant adverse effects across the dose range studied3, and mineral-profile characterization of fulvic-acid beverages found that trace metals delivered fall within ranges consistent with normal dietary intake4.
For the purity logic, see Fulvic Acid Purity and Dose.