What is it?
• Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is a flavonoid isolated from herbal plants such as Hovenia dulcis (raisin tree) and Ampelopsis grossedentata (Vine tea), which are indigenous to East Asia. They have been used for centuries in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases.

Uses/benefits:

•GENERAL USE: DHM has been associated with antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and lipid and glucose-metabolism-regulatory activities in pre-clinical studies. DHM has also been used for its neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects. 

• HOW IT WORKS: Non-clinical trials have claimed that DHM may be beneficial in the hangover syndrome, by decreasing alcohol concentration in the blood, promoting the clearance of alcohol and the elimination of free radicals. 

•RESEARCH: A randomized controlled crossover trial evaluating the anti-hangover effect of Hovenia dulcis fruit extract in 26 adults demonstrated a significant decline in hangover symptom scores in the treatment group compared to the placebo group. Significant differences between groups were also observed on inflammatory markets (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-10/IL-6 ratio), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. 

What is it?

• L cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid and a building block required for the synthesis of proteins in the body.

Uses /benefits:

•GENERAL BENEFITS: Examples of potential benefits of L-Cysteine supported by clinical trials include antioxidant effects, improvement of the immune system function, protection and detoxification of the liver, prevention of heart disease and diabetes, delay of aging, and protection of the digestive system. 

•HOW IT WORKS: It is theorized from animal studies that L-Cysteine has a neutralizing effect on acetaldehyde, a major contributor to hangover symptoms. In addition, L-Cysteine increases glutathione and decreases oxidative stress levels, which may play a role in the prevention of hangovers. 

• RESEARCH: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study showed that L-Cysteine prevented or alleviated hangover symptoms including, nausea, headache, stress, and anxiety.

What is it?

• Opuntia ficus-indica, also known as prickly pear, is a plant originating from Mexico and belonging to the Cactaceae family.

• Prickly pear is an important source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, and fatty acids traditionally used in disease prevention and health promotion. 

Uses /benefits
•GENERAL USE: Prickly pear fruit is used in healthcare due to its antioxidant,anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiproliferative, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective effects. 

• HOW IT WORKS: Prickly pear has been shown to accelerate the synthesis of heat shock proteins and to decrease oxidative injury, which may play role in decreasing the symptoms of alcohol hangover by dampening the inflammatory response to alcohol. 

• RESEARCH: A double blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial demonstrated that prickly pear reduced the risk of severe hangover by half with a significant decrease in nausea, dry mouth, and anorexia after alcohol consumption. Prickly pear reduced hangover symptoms by inhibiting the production of inflammatory makers.

What is it?
• Silybum marianum, commonly known as Milk Thistle, is a plant of the Asteraceae family, native of the Mediterranean area and now growing and cultivated worldwide.

• Milk Thistle has been used for centuries in medicine, mainly to treat kidney, spleen, liver, and gallbladder disease.

Uses/benefits:

•GENERAL USE: Milk thistle is said to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifibrotic,

regenerative, choleretic, hepatoprotective, and immune-stimulating effects in the liver.

• HOW IT WORKS: Milk thistle is an inhibitor of inflammation mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF). It also prevents the depletion of glutathione, which is a scavenger of free radicals, possibly impacting the oxidative stress and inflammatory response to alcohol consumption. 

• RESEARCH: The first clinical study related to milk thistle in patients with liver cirrhosis involved 92 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis treated orally with milk thistle and compared with placebo. The study findings showed that in alcoholic cirrhosis patients, the number of deaths in the placebo group was almost twice that in the milk thistle group. In a double blind randomized placebo‐controlled study, 106 patients with acute or subacute ALD were treated with milk thistle versus placebo. After 4 weeks of treatment, the authors found statistically significant reduction in hepatic blood profile associated with the improvement of histology and liver functionality in the milk thistle group compared with the placebo group. In a cochrane review of 18 randomized clinical studies assessing the use of milk thistle versus placebo in patients with alcoholic or hepatitis B or C virus liver disease, liver- related mortality was significantly reduced my milk thistle when all trials were assessed. In some trials, a

reduction in serum transaminases was demonstrated. A meta-analysis evaluating 12 randomized placebo-controlled trials suggested milk thistle was equivalent to antiviral or hepatoprotective drugs with regard to effects on serum transaminases, viral load, and hepatic fibrosis markers. In addition, some studies also report improvements in liver histology and survival. 

What is it?

• Theanine is a major nonprotein amino acid found in tea.

• L-theanine breaks down and combines with other amino acids to form glutathione, which may decrease oxidative injury.

Uses /benefits:

• GENERAL BENEFITS:
L-Theanine is used extensively to promote relaxation and as a mood enhancer.

In animal investigation, L-theanine shows activities in decreasing blood pressure and improving learning ability. In addition, reports demonstrate that L-theanine may attenuate neurotoxicity through reduction in oxidative damage. 

• HOW IT WORKS: non-clinical reports have shown that L-theanine has a protective effect on alcohol-induced liver injury through the attenuation of alcohol-induced oxidative damage and the enhancement of antioxidant enzymes to protect the hepatocytes from the effects of alcohol. 

• RESEARCH: L-theanine was evaluated for effects on sleep quality on a 6 week randomized placebo-controlled study. Data showed a benefit with L-theanine compared with placebo for sleep efficiency, awakenings after sleep onset, and reduction in bouts of nocturnal activity. In addition, administration of L-theanine for 8 weeks significantly improved sleep scores in a study of symptomatic adults with major depressive disorders. In another double blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial, adults with generalized anxiety disorder experienced significant reductions in insomnia scores with L-theanine when taken for 8 weeks. In a crossover trial in 30 adults, L-theanine for 4 weeks produced a significant improvement in stress-related depression, anxiety, and sleep symptom scores demonstrated by improved latency, reduced sleep disturbance, and decreased use of sleep medication without adverse events. In a systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating effects of L-theanine on anxiety and stress outcomes, an improvement in blood pressure in high anxiety individuals was reported with the administration of L-theanine.

What is it?

• Vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12 are water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in the synthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and proteins.

Uses /benefits
• GENERAL USE: B vitamins help maintain cardiovascular and nervous system health. B vitamins help support energy levels, cell metabolism, and brain function.

• HOW IT WORKS: B vitamins have been associated with free radical scavenging activities and decreased levels of C-reactive protein, which is a potential indicator of inflammation. The relationship between oxidative stress and inflammatory response has been linked to alcohol consumption. 

• RESEARCH: A double blind placebo controlled clinical trial identified a decreased in the number of hangover symptoms by 50% after the administration of Vitamin B6. A randomized crossover intervention identified that moderate alcohol intake may diminish vitamin B12 levels.

What is it?

• Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for human survival. Humans do not produce vitamin C. Therefore, it must be obtained from diet or supplements.

Uses /benefits
• GENERAL USES: Vitamin C has a role in several physiological functions. It is involved in a variety of metabolic processes including oxidation-reduction reactions and cellular respiration, carbohydrate metabolism, and the synthesis of lipids and proteins. Vitamin C is best known for its effects as an antioxidant and its role in maintaining proper immune function. 

• HOW IT WORKS: Vitamin C has been shown to reduce markers of inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, ad CRP levels.

• RESEARCH: A placebo controlled clinical trial of 20 healthy subjects demonstrated that

pretreatment with ascorbic acid resulted in a significant increase in blood ethanol clearance and a significant less impairment of motor coordination compared to placebo. Pretreatment with vitamin C also protected against ethanol's impairment of color discrimination. 15 Another study of 13 clinically healthy subjects demonstrated that short-term and long-term pretreatment with ascorbic acid significantly enhanced the clearance of plasma alcohol.

What is it?

• Ginger is a plant native to Asia, that is now cultivated in parts of South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The rhizome of the plant has been traditionally used in food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Uses /benefits
• GENERAL USES: 
preclinical research suggests that ginger may have anti-diabetic, antibacterial, analgesic, anti-emetic, antifungal, gastroprotective, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, anti-

inflammatory, and antioxidant effects among other properties. 

• HOW IT WORKS: One of the mechanisms proposed by preclinical studies by which ginger seems to reduce nausea and vomiting is by inhibition of neurokinin-1, serotonin, and dopamine receptors. 

• RESEARCH: A randomized placebo controlled trial identified that patients taking ginger rhizome powder experienced at least 90 % reduction in headache severity. Additionally, clinical research indicated that the administration of ginger reduced the relative likelihood of nausea and vomiting

by about 63% and 79%, respectively, compared to placebo in patients taking antiretroviral agents. A meta-analysis of 6 randomized clinical trials demonstrated that ginger was better than placebo at reducing pregnancy related nausea and vomiting.