Hovenia vs Cheers: DHM Supplement Comparison for Canadian Buyers

Cheers (formerly Thrive+) is the dominant US DHM supplement brand. They pioneered the category, have the strongest US brand recognition, and their Restore formula is the benchmark most Canadian buyers know when they start researching.

If you’re comparing Cheers to Hovenia as a Canadian buyer, this comparison covers the relevant differences.

Disclosure: Hovenia is the brand behind this site.

These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the FDA. Neither product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Quick Comparison

	Hovenia V2	Cheers Restore
DHM dose	1,000mg	1,000mg
L-Cysteine	✅	✅
NAC vs L-Cysteine	L-Cysteine	NAC
Milk Thistle	✅	✅
Prickly Pear	✅	✅
B-Complex	✅	✅
Electrolytes	✅	❌
Health Canada NPN	✅	❌
Canadian price/serving	~$1.50–2.25 CAD	~$3.50–4.50 CAD (with shipping)
Ships from	Canada	US

The Regulatory Difference: Why It Matters for Canadian Buyers

This is the most significant practical difference.

Cheers is a US company selling under FDA dietary supplement rules. They do not hold a Health Canada NPN (Natural Product Number). Technically, a supplement sold in Canada is required to have an NPN under Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Regulations. A product without one is not legally compliant for retail sale in Canada.

This doesn’t mean Cheers is unsafe — the product is well-formulated and backed by real science. It means:

It has not been reviewed by Health Canada for safety, efficacy, and quality claims
It’s shipping across the border in a regulatory grey zone for Canadian purchasers
Import delays, customs holds, and price variability at the border are real possibilities
Returns and customer service operate from the US with Canadian shipping complications

For occasional buyers, this may not matter much practically. For regular subscribers using this 8–12 times a month, Canadian-manufactured NPN-licensed product means consistent restock, no import complications, and the full Health Canada regulatory review.

Formulation: The NAC vs. L-Cysteine Difference

Both Cheers and Hovenia use a glutathione precursor as part of the formula. This is correct — alcohol metabolism depletes glutathione, and supplying a precursor supports replenishment.

The difference: Cheers uses NAC (N-acetyl cysteine). Hovenia uses L-Cysteine.

Both achieve the same outcome: more substrate for glutathione synthesis. The mechanism is identical.

The regulatory context matters here:

NAC: The FDA issued warning letters in 2020–2021 to multiple supplement companies citing NAC as potentially excluded from the dietary supplement definition (because it was investigated as a drug before being marketed as a supplement). The FDA’s formal position is still evolving. Health Canada NHP regulations also have scrutiny on NAC licensing.

L-Cysteine: Clean regulatory status under both FDA dietary supplement rules and Health Canada NHP regulations. No warning letters, no exclusion questions, standard amino acid with well-established NHP licensing.

For a Canadian manufacturer building a Health Canada NPN-licensed product, L-Cysteine is the unambiguously correct choice. Both No Days Wasted and Hovenia use L-Cysteine for this reason.

→ NAC vs L-Cysteine: Full Comparison →

Pricing: The Full Canadian Cost

Cheers Restore lists at approximately US$35–45 for a 12-serving pack. For Canadian buyers:

USD to CAD conversion: ~$48–62 CAD at typical exchange rates
International shipping: adds $10–20 CAD
Potential import duties: variable
Total landed cost: $58–82+ CAD for 12 servings = $4.83–6.83 CAD per serving

Hovenia V2 targets $1.50–2.25 CAD per serving, Canadian-shipped.

The gap is not a margin comparison — it’s that Cheers is priced for the US market and the international shipping + currency conversion creates a significant premium for Canadian buyers.

This is the primary reason NDW and Hovenia exist: the category leadership (Cheers) built for the US market, leaving a price and regulatory gap for Canadian-specific competitors.

What Cheers Does Better

Being honest: Cheers has more social proof, more reviews, more brand history, and more content supporting their product than Hovenia currently does. They were first to the category at scale. Their formula is well-researched (their co-founder Shri Kulkarni has a biochemistry background and has published content engaging with the science).

If you’re a US buyer, Cheers is a strong choice at competitive US pricing. If you’ve used Cheers and liked it, the formula logic is the same at Hovenia — you’re not giving up anything on the ingredient side.

Who Should Choose Which

Choose Hovenia if:

You’re Canadian and want NPN-licensed, Canadian-manufactured product
The currency/shipping premium for Cheers doesn’t make sense for your regular use
You’re using this more than a few times a month

Choose Cheers if:

You’re a US buyer (pricing makes much more sense)
You want the established brand with the deepest review history
You’re buying occasionally and the shipping/currency math isn’t a dealbreaker

→ Best DHM Supplement Canada: Full Comparison → → Hovenia vs No Days Wasted → → Cheers Supplement Review →

Hovenia is a Canadian liver health supplement company. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA or Health Canada.