Kudzu Root: What It Is, Benefits, Side Effects and More

For instance, it may reduce the effectiveness of birth control due to its estrogenic effects (8, 17). Some health companies sell the kudzu root species Pueraria mirifica as a supplement for menopausal and postmenopausal women. This article examines the benefits, uses, and potential side effects of kudzu root. More recently, kudzu root has made its way to Western countries as an herbal supplement. This time, the groups were given the opposite pill from the one they’d previously taken (meaning that they acted as their own control for the experiment). Again, we calculated the total units consumed for each group, and then compared the total units consumed after placebo vs those consumed after kudzu.

Alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost, United States, 2001

Furthermore, it’s likely that the suggested doses for kudzu root will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of supplement you may be considering. There isn’t much scientific evidence available on the dosing for kudzu root as a supplement. For this reason, it’s difficult to make recommendations for various uses.

May reduce alcohol dependence

In addition, the two treatments greatly differed in the percent of days abstinent as well as the number of consecutive days of abstinence. Increased consecutive days of abstinence is a desirable outcome of an alcohol treatment program, especially during the initial phases of treatment (Washton and Zweben, 2006). The fact that kudzu extract nearly doubled the number of consecutive days that individuals maintained abstinence suggests that it may be a useful adjunct during the early weeks of treatment. Kudzu is one of the earliest medicinal plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has many profound pharmacological actions, including antidipsotropic (antialcohol abuse) activity.58,59 Two of its isoflavones, daidzin and daidzein, account for this effect.

DRUGS AND MEDICATIONS CENTER

Extracts of the kudzu plant are best known for their ability to suppress alcohol intake or alter alcohol effects by laboratory animals (Heyman et al., 1996; Keung and Vallee, 1993b; Keung, 2003; Overstreet et al., 1996; Rezvani et al., 2003; Benlhabib et al., 2004). The degree of reduction is often as high as 50% and the effects appeared within one to two days of treatment. Puerarin, daidzin and daidzein are the active isoflavones in kudzu. Regardless of the actual mechanism of action, it is widely accepted that the isoflavones in kudzu are effective in reducing alcohol intake in a number of mammalian species. In some instances, even a single dose of kudzu extract reduced alcohol consumption and prevented binge drinking (4, 5). One small study looked at the effects of kudzu in 17 men ages 21–33 who reported drinking approximately 22–35 drinks per week.

Today, kudzu is used to treat alcoholism and to reduce symptoms of alcohol hangover, including headache, upset stomach, dizziness, and vomiting. In response to these difficulties, Lukas and colleagues developed a concentrated kudzu extract with 25 percent isoflavones and developed the “natural kudzu extract for alcoholism laboratory” setting to test the extract’s effects. Lukas and colleagues note that kudzu’s effects, in this sense, might be useful for reducing binge drinking or helping some people stay sober by minimizing the chance that a “slip” of having one drink will result in a full alcoholic relapse.

May ease menopause symptoms

Nevertheless, it may be a good idea to avoid if you use blood thinning or diabetes medications. Kudzu root may help treat alcohol dependence, liver damage, and menopausal symptoms. Scientists need to do more human studies to determine its effectiveness in other areas, like inflammation, heart health, and headaches. 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). The ability of puerarin and related isoflavones to facilitate alcohol’s entry into the brain has not been systematically studied. For this mechanism to be plausible, the more rapid penetration of alcohol into the brain would have to trigger a satiety mechanism rather quickly such that the desire for the next drink is delayed—thus interrupting a binge episode.

Can you be ‘fat’ and still healthy?

While the drinking pattern changed in kudzu users, the drinkers reported no change in their desire to drink when they began each session. Participants who took the extract in earlier studies said they felt more “tired,” “floating” and “intoxicated” after one drink, suggesting that kudzu “may be prolonging or enhancing the acute effects of the first drink,” Lukas says. Lukas and Lee applied for, and were granted, a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.

• In some instances, even a single dose of kudzu extract reduced alcohol consumption and prevented binge drinking (4, 5).
• The use of kudzu for alcoholism originated in China around 600 A.D.
• It was introduced into the United States as an ornamental in 1876, as a forage plant in Florida in the 1920s, and was promoted as an erosion control by the U.S.

Can my choice of drink protect me from what I eat?

• According to the animal data, a preliminary clinical study explored the effect of kudzu root extract on 38 patients affected by alcohol dependence and were randomly assigned to receive either kudzu root extract (1.2 g twice daily) or placebo (Shebek and Rindone 2000).
• Using the continuous measure of alcohol consumption, drinking was quantified using a number of different variables as noted above.
• This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this product.
• 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.

Will kudzu supplement pills make me drink less alcohol?

• It’s important to note that this is a case study, so it can’t prove kudzu root caused this liver injury.
• In spite of the compelling preclinical and clinical evidence of its efficacy, the precise mechanism of action of kudzu in reducing alcohol consumption is not currently known.
• Kudzu is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth appropriately for up to 4 months or when injected intravenously (by IV) for up to 20 days.
• In my opinion, the Planetary Herbals brand is a great option for someone who has not yet quit drinking, and who wants to try pure kudzu powder on its own.