Kudzu, scientifically known as Pueraria lobata, is renowned in traditional Chinese medicine for its diverse applications, including the treatment of alcohol dependence. While scientific research on kudzu’s effectiveness in addressing alcoholism is limited, some studies have shown promising results. In fact, one study demonstrated that kudzu could reduce alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers by as much as 50%.
- In animal studies, peurarin may alleviate chronic alcoholic liver injury via inhibition of endotoxin gut-leakage, activation of Kupffer cells, and expression of lipopolysaccharide receptors (22).
- Kudzu may also interact with certain medications, such as disulfiram (Antabuse) and methotrexate.
- Because prescription medications are not universally used or have a perceived modest effect (Krystal et al., 2001; Mark et al., 2003), providing heavy drinkers with any type of intervention that yields even a modest reduction in drinking is desirable.
- These resources can be instrumental in guiding you toward effective strategies for overcoming alcoholism.
- Reach out to healthcare providers, counselors, and support groups to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Kudzu root is rich in antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from oxidative stress that can lead to disease. The isoflavone puerarin is the most abundant antioxidant compound in the kudzu vine (6). You may be wondering https://sober-home.org/ how people use kudzu root and what to know when considering whether to give it a try. Role of Funding Source Funding for this study was provided by NIAAA grant R01-AA10536 to Dr. Lukas and NCCAM grant P01-AT to Dr. Lee.
5 Alcohol Consumption—Treatment Phase
Syringes were changed every 5 minutes and the blood was put into Vacutainer® tubes containing K3EDTA (12 mg) as anticoagulant and placed on ice. The blood samples were then centrifuged and the plasma separated into a plastic vial. Quantitative analysis of ethanol levels was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) (Hewlett-Packard model 5890 series II equipped with a model 18593B autosampler) (Penetar et al., 2008). Analysis was performed on every 5 minute sample after the commencement of drinking for 75 minutes, and on samples taken at 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes. Participants filled out a daily diary every morning as soon as possible upon awakening.
Kudzu Root: Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects
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. Kudzu root is a rich source of antioxidants, which can help protect the body against damage from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that can damage cells, leading to a range of health issues. Dry Mouth Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, can occur as a side effect of kudzu use. 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.
A total of 21 adult males (17 Caucasian, 1 African American, 2 Hispanic, 1 Middle Eastern; mean age 23.8 ± 3.46 years, range 21–33) were recruited through advertisements in local and college newspapers and flyers posted in the Boston area. Persons who responded to these advertisements were given a brief telephone screen, and invited to the laboratory for further evaluations. After providing written informed consent, a psychiatric evaluation (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders (First, 2002)) was performed and a physical exam including electrocardiogram, vital signs, full hematology, blood chemistry and urinalysis tests was conducted. Persons of Asian descent were excluded because of their known increased flushing reaction to alcohol.
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. The sample size was relatively small; however, a repeated measures, crossover design was used with participants as their own control receiving multiple pretreatments, each with placebo and alcohol challenges. The present study did not include a treatment condition to specifically analyze the effects of kudzu alone in the absence of any challenge drink. Previous work in this laboratory on the stance stability test has indicated that kudzu alone does not alter this behavior (unpublished results).
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For targeting alcohol dependence, studies have used dosages of 1.2 grams of kudzu root extract per day over 1 week, or a single dose of 2 grams before drinking alcohol, without noted side effects (3, 19). This study provides additional evidence that an extract of the kudzu root significantly reduces alcohol consumption by human participants and confirms that this botanical medication may be a safe and effective adjunct pharmacotherapy for treating alcohol use disorders. A new custom-built platform, based on an earlier design (Lukas et al., 1989) was used to measure stance stability/body sway. The device consisted of a 0.76 m square plywood platform mounted on 4 pressure sensitive load cells. Output from the cells was collected on a dedicated computer running software that computed a single point in Cartesian coordinate system at a rate of 20 Hz. Stability/sway was defined as an area measurement of the total points collected in a 30-second period.
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. 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.
The reductions in drinking during kudzu extract treatment were modest, but were equivalent to a 34–57% reduction over the treatment weeks; reductions in drinking during placebo treatment ranged from 5.8–36%. The reductions in drinking by kudzu extract were observed by the second week of treatment and persisted through the 4th week of treatment. 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 present study provides further evidence that extracts of the kudzu root are effective in reducing alcohol consumption but unlike any other medication (other than disulfiram) it does so after a single dose was taken shortly before a binge drinking opportunity. And, contrary to disulfiram treatment, the drinking that did occur after kudzu administration did not result in any noxious side effects, increases in subjective ratings of nausea, uncomfortable, or feeling terrible. The reduction in drinking was evident rather quickly as it was apparent for the second through sixth beers and no kudzu-treated participant drank five or six beers, which suggests that binge drinking was curtailed. Alcohol resulted in a dose-related alteration in subjective measures of intoxication, impairment of stance stability, and vigilance/reaction time. Kudzu extract did not alter participants’ subjective responses to the alcohol challenge or to alcohol’s effects on stance stability or vigilance/reaction time.
The significance and application of this finding to other isoflavone compounds (e.g., puerarin) and to the human mitochondrial pathway system remains unknown. The study consisted of a 2-week baseline period, 4 weeks of medication (subjects were randomized to either kudzu extract or placebo treatments) and a 2-week follow up period. Although the number of sips taken per beer did not significantly increase in this study – contrary to what was found in our previous study (Lukas et al., 2005) - we did observe an increase in the time taken to consume a beer which is consistent with our previous study. 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). The apparently lower magnitude of subjective effects compared to the placebo treated group (Figure 4) is due most likely to the fact that the kudzu-treated individuals drank less alcohol during the session, which was reflected in significantly lower breath alcohol levels.
Urine samples were qualitatively analyzed by HPLC for puerarin levels on a weekly basis starting on the second week of baseline and continuing through the two follow-up visits. Although blood samples were collected from all participants to how to help someone with a drinking problem examine the safety of kudzu, only the last 12 subjects had blood samples collected for quantitative analysis of puerarin levels. Various studies have used single, one-time doses or daily doses for a week without reported adverse effects.
The net result would allow the metabolic intermediates (5-hydroxyindole acetaldehyde [5-HIAL] and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetaldehyde [DOPAL]) to accumulate. As a consequence, daidzin could reduce alcohol consumption by altering monoamines that are important in central reward pathways (Rooke et al., 2000). Supporting evidence by Keung et al. (1995) has shown that the ability of structural analogs of daidzin to increase 5-HIAL accumulation is positively correlated with the compound’s alcohol-suppressing capabilities.