As expected, I didn’t really feel anything after taking kudzu until I began drinking. I recall feeling a very slight prickly feeling in my skin after I’d had a few drinks, and a mild head rush. I did not feel more drunk than usual, but I definitely drank less. Overall, my drinking during that month declined by around 30-40%.
- The kudzu root may interact with certain medications or pose other health risks for certain people.
- However, these authors noted that there was a large dropout rate, subjects were not supervised while they completed the questionnaires, and there was only a single assessment each month.
- More recently, kudzu root has made its way to Western countries as an herbal supplement.
- To preserve the double-blind, kudzu and placebo capsules were repacked into #00 opaque capsules (Apothecary Products, Minneapolis, MN).
- Endogenous levels of riboflavin are too low to fluoresce and participants were instructed to avoid multivitamin complexes while participating in the study.
- The reductions in drinking by kudzu extract were observed by the second week of treatment and persisted through the 4th week of treatment.
Lab studies suggest that kudzu has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Compounds called isoflavones are thought to be responsible for its potential effects. There is some evidence that kudzu root dietary supplements may cause liver injury. One study in mice found that taking 10 mg per day of kudzu root extract for 4 weeks caused liver toxicity (15). While the blood flow theory of kudzu for alcoholism may be true, there is likely more going on here.
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Because animal and human studies suggest some estrogenic effects, individuals with hormone-sensitive cancers and those taking tamoxifen should avoid kudzu. We had kudzu extracts laboratory tested – and they didn’t contain anything like the amount they said on the packet. But before you rush out to buy kudzu extract, there’s a sting in this particular tale. Our test, and those carried out in the US, involved each person taking 500mg of the active ingredient. But we looked hard and we couldn’t find any brands of kudzu available in the UK that have the government’s THR mark, which guarantees that they actually contain what they say on the label.
- Giving a Kudzu root extract twice daily failed to reduce craving and sobriety scores.
- Although blood samples were collected from all participants to examine the safety of kudzu, only the last 12 subjects had blood samples collected for quantitative analysis of puerarin levels.
- Another study found that kudzu may really “affect alcohol consumption patterns.” In this same study, people who took an isoflavone extract from the kudzu plant before drinking took longer to reach for the liquor cabinet.
- Puerarin, daidzin and daidzein are the active isoflavones in kudzu.
- In heavy drinkers, data suggest kudzu may be a useful adjunct to reduce alcohol intake (9) (19) (23).
- The plant is a trailing vine that often grows over other plants and trees.
- The Chinese noticed that people who consumed the plant started to drink less.
Another study found that people who took puerarin, an isoflavone extract from the kudzu plant, prior to drinking took longer to consume alcoholic beverages (3). Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of illness worldwide (Shield et al., 2013) and has a significant impact on the health of millions people. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ The impact of excessive alcohol consumption results in increased healthcare costs, loss of productivity, alcohol-related crime (including assault and sexual abuse), and motor vehicle accidents. A growing number of double-blind, peer reviewed studies have confirmed the effectiveness of using kudzu for alcoholism.
Cardiovascular effects
Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. One of the main reasons we drink alcohol is because it makes us feel more sociable. Recent guidelines recommend we stick to 14 units a week, which will be harder for some than others. Funding for this study was provided by NIAAA grant R01-AA10536 to Dr. Lukas and NCCAM grant P01-AT to Dr. Lee. The NIAAA and NCCAM had no further role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
And the table actually weighs the mug of beer, and each time they took a sip, we could actually see how much they were consuming each time. One study in mice found that kudzu vine extract was highly beneficial in treating alcohol-induced liver damage by scavenging harmful free radicals and boosting the natural antioxidant system (6). Today, the most popular ways to use kudzu root are as an herbal supplement or a root tea. This article examines the benefits, uses, and potential side effects of kudzu root. Overconsumption of alcohol has significant negative effects on an individual’s health and contributes to an enormous economic impact on society as a whole. Pharmacotherapies to curb excessive drinking are important for treating alcohol use disorders.
Medications that can harm the liver (Hepatotoxic drugs) interacts with KUDZU
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.). Participants were randomized on a blind basis to receive either 4 capsules of the extract (for a total of 520 mg isoflavones) or placebo (sugar beet filler) 2.5 hours before the start of an afternoon drinking session. kudzu extract for alcoholism This pretreatment time was selected based on our pharmacokinetic study of puerarin absorption and elimination (Penetar et al., 2006). 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. The kudzu group significantly reduced consumption from 3.0 ± 1.7 at baseline to 1.9 ± 1.3 beers after treatment.
This may be due to the isoflavones in kudzu, which can help regulate hormone levels. In vitro, kudzu has demonstrated antiproliferative (1), anti-inflammatory (3), and neuroprotective (16) (18) properties. In animal studies, feeding with kudzu root suppressed alcohol intake and withdrawal symptoms (4). Kudzu doesn’t seem to alter the urge to drink, but rather how quickly you top yourself up.
Natural Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Hangover and Alcohol Use Disorder
Our laboratory has been involved in assessing an extract of the kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) for its ability to reduce alcohol consumption in humans. In the first study, kudzu extract was administered for 7 days and acute binge drinking was suppressed (Lukas et al., 2005). In the second study, 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). We have subsequently shown that puerarin is the major active isoflavone because 7 days treatment with this compound alone (1200 mg/day) produced a similar reduction of binge drinking as the extract (Penetar et al., 2012). Given that a week of preplanning is unlikely before a binge drinking episode or opportunity, we built on our previous findings to explore in the present experiment if a single dose of kudzu extract taken shortly before a drinking session would reduce alcohol consumption. One Chinese herbal medicine, XJL (NPI-028), has long been used to reduce the inebriation that results from alcohol consumption.
- 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.).
- My experience was limited to an experiment that I did years ago to see if taking the herb would reduce my drinking levels.