Chinese Herb Kudzu May Help Drinkers Cut Down

« It is also possible that there is another, as yet undiscovered compound in the mixture that accounts for the effects. Thus, the mechanism of action of the kudzu extract remains unknown. » While we only selected a small number of patients to study in this pilot because we wanted to capture a positive effect prior Sober House to a much larger study being planned in the future, we are encouraged with these preliminary results. Importantly, 40% of these patients relapsed more than five times indicating serious problems with alcohol abuse/dependence. Certainly we caution any real interpretation which must await further study.

It also cut the number of heavy drinking days and increased the number of days they didn’t drink at all. One is that it raises your blood alcohol levels faster, which means you may feel intoxicated sooner. Kudzu may also help heavy drinkers cut the amount of alcohol they consume, even if they are not being treated for AUD. Some people also use it to treat the anxiety and depression that go along with alcohol addiction and withdrawal. This article describes some natural treatments to support AUD treatment. It also explains why it’s important to find effective treatments. Whatever treatments you choose, make sure to discuss the benefits and risks with your healthcare team.

A Phytoestrogen Puerarin and Its Health Effects

It produces large numbers of seeds that are disseminated by animals, especially birds. The plant is drought tolerant and frosts kill only the aboveground parts of the vine. The roots are also resistant to herbicides and it can take 3–10 years of repeated treatments with herbicides before the nutrient reserves of the roots are exhausted. Changes in the chemistry of 6″-malonyl-7′-β-glucosyldaidzein, a major soybean component, during food processing. Dry heating of 6″-malonyl-7′-β-glucosyldaidzein leads to decarboxylation to 6″-acetyl-7′-β-glucosyldaidzein . Heated, aqueous extraction of soybeans to make soy milk and tofu, removes the malonyl group to make daidzin . Fermentation can also lead to hydrolysis of the glucosyl group . Daidzein and glycitein in soy and kudzu, and formononetin and biochanin A in red clover. « We suspect it may work because it increases blood flow, » he says. « It may deliver alcohol to the brain’s reward center faster. So you get an effect sooner; therefore, you don’t drink as much. »

Chris Scott founded Fit Recovery in 2014 to help people from around the world dominate alcohol dependence and rebuild their lives from scratch. A former investment banker, he recovered from alcohol dependence using cutting-edge methods that integrate kudzu root alcohol cravings nutrition, physiology, and behavioral change. Today, Chris is an Alcohol Recovery Coach and the creator of an online course called Total Alcohol Recovery 2.0. My standards for categorizing an herb or drug as a “miracle” supplement are quite high.

Antioxidant Treatment and Alcoholism

Get FREE daily coaching messages from Chris Scott to help you quit or cut down on alcohol in just 10 days. The information we provide while responding to comments is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The responses to comments on fitrecovery.com are designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. 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. My problem at the time was a denial of the severity of my drinking problem. Kudzu did what it was supposed to do – it curbed my drinking noticeably. But as soon as the capsules ran out, I concluded that it hadn’t totally “cured” my problem and that I would eventually find something better. Lukas’ study was inspired by Dr. Wing Ming Keung, a pathology professor at Harvard Medical School who has studied kudzu’s potential medical applications.

After consuming kudzu extract for 4 weeks, the participants reduced their number of weekly alcoholic beverages by at least a third. Most studies on herbals and other natural supplements for reducing alcohol or drug use, reducing craving and managing withdrawal were small, conducted many years ago, and have not been replicated by large placebo-controlled studies. Nevertheless, there is evidence that some herbal medicines widely used in Chinese medicine, Ayurveda may significantly reduce craving and consumption of alcohol and may reduce the severity of alcohol withdrawal. The results showed pre-treatment with kudzu extract had little to no effect on the participant’s behavioral, physical or cognitive performance. However, the researchers did note that treatment with kudzu caused an increase in heart rate, skin temperature and blood ethanol levels in the participants. Based on this, the researchers hypothesized that an increase in blood ethanol levels could translate into increased effects from the first alcoholic drink and delay an individual’s desire for subsequent drinks. Kudzu root is linked to a wide range of potential health benefits from easing menopausal symptoms to treating alcohol dependence. Still, more research needs to be done to prove whether it’s truly effective. Participants were randomized on a blind basis to receive either 4 capsules of the extract or placebo 2.5 hours before the start of an afternoon drinking session. This pretreatment time was selected based on our pharmacokinetic study of puerarin absorption and elimination (Penetar et al., 2006).

But she also suspected she was underplaying this incredible but destructive plant, so she referred me to an excellent article on the history and impact of kudzu published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in 2014. Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned professional, McLean has resources to support you through a lifetime of helping patients succeed. A. Several studies have indicated that even recommended amounts of vitamin A might weaken bones and lead to fractures. But new research suggests that normal doses of beta carotene and vitamin A are not related to fracture risk. A. Policosanol is a natural compound derived from sugar-cane wax, beeswax or yams. While it might not lower cholesterol as well as statin-type medicines, data suggest it can lower bad LDL cholesterol and even raise good HDL cholesterol.

People have used kudzu root in Eastern medicine for many years. More recently, kudzu root has made its way to Western countries as an herbal supplement. And so after that week of treatment, when they came to the lab, we measured their drinking using a very specialized table that we had developed that actually has a scale built into it. 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. Taking kudzu will not turn an alcoholic into a nondrinker overnight. Nor will it drastically enhance your quality of life after the first dose. However, if you want to cut down on drinking or detoxify your body during alcohol withdrawal, kudzu may be able to help. Lukas recruited 14 men and women in their 20s to spend four 90-minute sessions consuming beer and watching TV.

Mental Health

In addition to her work at the exclusive Executive Health clinic in Marbella, Spain, she helps to keep Fit Recovery up to date with emerging research. If you have any questions about using kudzu recovery for alcoholism, please leave them in the comment box below. Because my drinking levels were so stupendously high in the first place, kudzu did not turn me into a moderate drinker by any stretch of the imagination. 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%. Thus, I’m going to make sure I cover all of these topics and more so you become very knowledgeable about how kudzu works for helping people get better from alcoholism. “The most urgent need is helping people who cannot help themselves, who need a drug to help them stop drinking,” Keung said.

• Kudzu contains several active isoflavones, which are natural plant chemicals with antioxidant effects.
• « It is also possible that there is another, as yet undiscovered compound in the mixture that accounts for the effects. Thus, the mechanism of action of the kudzu extract remains unknown. »
• After placebo treatment, three people drank five beers and one drank six.
• A small 2009 case report involving 16 people with regular cluster headaches provides some anecdotal evidence.
• It is one of the substances known as isoflavones found in kudzu.
• Here is a list of 4 natural supplements that are just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs.

A 2012 study on the kudzu species Pueraria mirifica suggests that doses of 50 to 100 milligrams of kudzu root per day have a low risk of negative side effects. There’s some evidence that kudzu root supplements may cause liver injury, but more research needs to be done on this topic. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, kudzu root can be used for lots of health purposes. Some common applications include treating fevers and easing symptoms of diabetes.

Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement made from the Withania somnifera plant. In one of the studies in the review, researchers compared a real acupuncture treatment to a fake one. In the real treatment, researchers placed needles into zones linked to alcohol-related behaviors. In the sham treatment, they placed needles into other areas of the body. A 2017 research review found that acupuncture helped with alcohol cravings and withdrawal. kudzu root alcohol cravings Anti-diabetic potential of Pueraria lobata root extract through promoting insulin signaling by PTP1B inhibition. One study on 82 postmenopausal women notes that using a Pueraria mirifica gel may improve symptoms of vaginal dryness. Another study shows that kudzu flower might be helpful to lessen hot flashes in menopausal women. Kudzu root, leaf, and flowers have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries.

Kudzu, administered as the root extract, may play an important role in this regard. The researchers observed 12 men and women in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The participants were either treated with kudzu or a placebo for nine days, and then received a medium or high alcohol challenge to determine how prominently they presented alcohol-related symptoms. One possibility is through the different isoflavones, which are biologically active molecules that can affect physiology, contained within the kudzu extract.