This translates to “bone-joint herb” and refers to kudzu’s traditional use for healing bone fractures and relieving joint pain. Reactions can vary based on dosage, duration of use, and individual factors. Remember to consult your physician before using kudzu root medicinally or long-term. However, more research involving human subjects is still needed on kudzu root for skin and hair benefits.
Are there natural alternatives to HRT?
It does this by raising the alcohol levels so the person using it gets the effect of alcohol without drinking as much. In retrospect, my experience demonstrates the utility of kudzu for alcoholism. 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.
Associated data
- Kudzu is an herb used in Chinese medicine to treat alcoholism, heart disease, menopausal symptoms, diabetes, fever, the common cold, and neck or eye pain.
- The root contains isoflavones, a compound that has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption in rats.
- The kudzu root may interact with certain medications or pose other health risks for certain people.
- It has been recently shown that dihydromyricetin, a flavonoid purified from Hovenia, has unique effects on GABAA receptors and blocks ethanol intoxication and withdrawal in alcoholic animal models.
- Furthermore, Kudzu root contains a number of useful isoflavones, including puerarin, daidzein and daidzin149.
The concept that a more rapid delivery of alcohol to the brain would result in a decrease (and not an increase) in drinking behavior seems counter intuitive. Admittedly, the magnitude of the change in plasma ethanol levels in the present study is modest and may not be biologically significant, in spite of the observed statistical significance. kudzu root alcohol We are currently engaged in studies employing proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to directly measure whether kudzu extract alters the rate and concentration of alcohol that actually enters the human brain. Studies such as this will likely yield more information on how kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption.
4 Safety, Side Effects and Adverse Event Reporting
We had not expected that any beneficial effects would remain after kudzu extract had cleared the body based on our pharmacokinetic results (Penetar et al., 2006). A standardized formulation of kudzu extract produced minimal side effects, was well-tolerated and resulted in a modest reduction in alcohol consumption in young non treatment-seeking heavy drinkers. Additional studies using treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent persons will be necessary to determine the usefulness of this herbal preparation in reducing alcohol use in other populations. Kudzu root gets some serious rep’ for helping folks ease off of the booze.
Together, they benefit the digestive system, even offering relief from stomach ulcers and heartburn. As far the the root goes, you can cook kudzu roots like potatoes, or dry them and grind them into powder, which makes a great breading for fried foods or a thickener for sauces. Kudzu is native to Asia, particularly China, Japan and Korea, and has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries.
Estrogenic activity
The big experiment: could I lose fat just by changing my meal times?
- In moderate drinkers, it was shown to not disturb sleep wake/cycles, as can occur during withdrawal or with other medications that treat dependence (20).
- In addition, and perhaps of greater significance, is the possibility that ethanol levels rose more quickly at the higher dose of alcohol (0.7 g/kg) following kudzu pretreatment compared to placebo pretreatment.
- Again, we calculated the total units consumed for each group, and then compared the total units consumed after placebo vs those consumed after kudzu.
- Understanding the effects of alcohol on the brain leading to AUD is essential to determine the direction for anti-AUD drug development.