If I had been committed to using it to wean off of alcohol and then quit, it might have been a very valuable part of my recovery. I did not know at the time that people also use it to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms; nor did I care, because I did not intend to quit at the time. When alcohol is consumed, kudzu may reduce the time it takes for it to travel to the brain. A slightly increased concentration of alcohol in the brain results in a quicker reward, which in turn reduces a person’s desire to drink more alcohol.
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A standardized formulation of kudzu extract produced minimal side effects, was well-tolerated, and resulted in a modest reduction in alcohol consumption in young nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers. Additional studies using treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent persons will be necessary to determine the usefulness of this herbal preparation in kudzu to stop drinking reducing alcohol use in other populations. We employed two different biochemical methods (urinary riboflavin and plasma puerarin levels), to monitor medication adherence. The lack of side effects after four weeks of treatment with both placebo and kudzu extract is likely one of the major reasons for the high rate of medication adherence.
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Findings show that subjects who took kudzu drank an average of 1.8 beers per session, compared with the 3.5 beers consumed by those who took a placebo. The herb called kudzu is a high climbing, coarse textured twining and trailing type of perennial vine found in parts https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of Asia and naturalized elsewhere [1]. Chinese traditional medicine makes use of the huge root that grows to the size of an adult human body – kudzu called gégēn in China, is a major source for many modern herbal products as well as traditional Chinese medications.
- Kudzu root is a rich source of antioxidants, which can help protect the body against damage from free radicals.
- During the baseline session, the placebo-randomized group consumed 2.7 ± 0.78 beers before treatment and increased consumption to 3.4 ± 1.1 beers after treatment.
- Kudzu is an ancient Chinese herbal supplement that is said to reduce alcohol cravings.
- The kudzu plant resembles poison ivy, so it’s important to know how to identify it correctly.
- In addition, the two treatments greatly differed in the percent of days abstinent as well as the number of consecutive days of abstinence.
Medications that can harm the liver (Hepatotoxic drugs) interacts with KUDZU
The correlational analysis of absolute amount of alcohol consumed and breath alcohol levels in this study indicates that the physiological effects and the rate of elimination of ingested alcohol are not altered by kudzu administration. This was demonstrated in our previous study (Penetar et al., 2011) where pharmacokinetic parameters such as peak concentration and elimination time were not affected by kudzu. In that study, however, we did find evidence of an initial more rapid rise in blood alcohol levels in kudzu-treated individuals, suggesting that isoflavones may alter bioavailability of alcohol to the brain during the ascending alcohol absorption phase.
Data sources include Micromedex (updated 6 May 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 6 May 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Apr 2024) and others. As with any herbal supplement, it is essential to consult a healthcare professional before incorporating kudzu into one’s regimen, especially if taking medications or dealing with specific health conditions. Research has found that kudzu can help improve insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, kudzu may help reduce inflammation, which is often a contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes.
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Persons of Asian descent were excluded because of their known increased flushing reaction to alcohol. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) outside the range of 18–25 kg/m2 were also excluded. The participants reported their desire for and consumption of alcohol for the duration of the study. Researchers found that the kudzu extract had no effect on alcohol cravings, but it reduced the number of weekly alcoholic drinks by 34–57% (2). Kudzu extract was administered in gelatin capsules containing 500 mg of extract (Alkontrol-Herbal™; NPI-031) prepared by Natural Pharmacia International, Inc., Burlington, MA. The extract contained 26% (130 mg) active isoflavones (20% puerarin, 4% daidzin, 2% daidzein; an improved HPLC analysis revealed that the total puerarin content includes both puerarin and 3-methoxypuerarin.).
Kudzu Root: What It Is, Benefits, Side Effects and More – Greatist
Kudzu Root: What It Is, Benefits, Side Effects and More.
Posted: Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Medication adherence was excellent and there were no adverse events and changes in vital signs, blood chemistry, and renal or liver function. We previously demonstrated that short-term treatment with a standardized kudzu extract (NPI-031) reduced alcohol drinking by men and women in a natural setting. The present study was conducted in nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers to assess the safety and efficacy of 4 weeks of kudzu extract in an outpatient setting. Medication adherence was excellent and there were no adverse events, changes in vital signs, blood chemistry, renal or liver function.
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- Thirty percent of current drinkers report drinking excessively (Naimi et al., 2003) and 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the past 30 days (Town et al., 2006).
- However, more research is needed to fully understand the effects of kudzu on the body.
- However, some people may experience mild side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headache.
- In the second, participants who were treated for 4 weeks with kudzu extract significantly reduced their alcohol consumption during weeks 2 through 4 of the study (Lukas et al., 2013).
- This change in drinking topography was not secondary to alterations in the subjective effects of alcohol as kudzu-treated individuals still reported positive feelings (e.g., drunk, floating) without any change in the negative effects (e.g., clumsy, dizzy).
- For over 2,000 years, people have used kudzu root in traditional Chinese medicine for purposes like treating fevers, diarrhea, and even diabetes and heart disease (1).
