Kudzu: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions

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). Great progress in the study of traditional herbal medicines has been made, especially the potential therapeutics for anti-alcohol abuse. This progress not only includes new experimental findings but also demonstrates a method to utilize the treasure of traditional Eastern medications. Some studies suggest that kudzu root may promote healthier and more youthful skin. In the study, the researchers found that kudzu root extracts could improve the type I collagen in the body because of its abundant phytoestrogen content.

KUDZU – Uses, Side Effects, and More

• The BDI and BAI scores remained unchanged during the course of treatment with both kudzu extract and placebo.
• In the first, kudzu extract was administered for 7 days and acute binge drinking was suppressed (Lukas et al., 2005).
• All tests were two-sided with significance level of 0.05 and were performed using SPSS software (version 19.0, IBM SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL).
• Researchers found that the kudzu extract had no effect on alcohol cravings, but it reduced the number of weekly alcoholic drinks by 34–57% (2).

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. The significance and application of this finding to other isoflavone compounds (e.g., puerarin) and to the human mitochondrial pathway system remains unknown. 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.

Effects of chronic alcohol consumption

• The net result would allow the metabolic intermediates (5-hydroxyindole acetaldehyde [5-HIAL] and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetaldehyde [DOPAL]) to accumulate.
• In the past three decades, effort has been made to evaluate the efficacy of Hovenia on alcoholism and to understand the mechanisms of actions of its active constituents.
• To neutralize the effects of alcohol on GABAARs and ameliorate the symptoms of AWS and/or to diminish cravings for alcohol is more likely to achieve success.
• This population includes people with certain types of breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.

One small study looking at the effects of kudzu in a group of men that reported drinking between 22 and 35 drinks per week shows promising results. After consuming kudzu extract for 4 weeks, the participants reduced their number of weekly alcoholic beverages by at least a third. kudzu root alcohol 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.

Reduce Alcohol Dependence

During this time, alcohol increased heart rate consistent with previous reports (Kouri et al., 2004; Penetar et al., 2009). 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. In fact, even a single dose of kudzu extract may be helpful if you’re looking to reduce your drinking. 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.

The government runs the voluntary Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme in an effort to combat this problem. Any product carrying a THR mark can be relied upon to contain the amounts of herb/active ingredient as stated on the bottle. Kudzu, whose scientific name is Pueraria mirfica, is a vine used in Chinese medicine for a variety of health promoting purposes. If you have any questions about using kudzu recovery for alcoholism, please leave them in the comment box below. 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. However, there are a lot of supplements that claim to contain it that are mostly cheap fillers.

Kudzu for Alcoholism: The Ultimate Dosage Guide

The placebo-treated group opened 33 beers during baseline conditions and 38 following treatment whereas the kudzu-treated group opened 32 beers during baseline conditions and only 21 following treatment. To preserve the double-blind, kudzu and placebo capsules were repacked into #00 opaque capsules (Apothecary Products, Minneapolis, MN). Morning and evening sets of capsules also contained a 25 mg tablet of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and the afternoon sets contained an additional placebo capsule, in addition to the two kudzu extract capsules, in order to maintain a uniform number (3) of capsules.

Are there any side effects associated with taking kudzu for alcoholism?

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders (Research Version)

• Stores typically sell it as a powdered drink mix, an oral capsule or tablet, liquid drops, or as a food-grade starch to use in cooking.
• In this article, I’m going to discuss how to use kudzu recovery for alcoholism.
• Kudzu is native to Asia, particularly China, Japan and Korea, and has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries.