In this recent study, the researchers gave twelve participants different schedules of placebo or kudzu pills, and then observed the effects of drinking a set amount of vodka. They tested steadiness of gait, body sway, how well participants could stand upright, and how drunk they said they felt, among other factors. The researchers found that these types of responses were not intensified if participants had taken kudzu, suggesting that the drug does not work by increasing the intensity or duration of alcohol’s effects. Purified puerarin another ingredient in Kudzu root was also shown to suppress alcohol intake in the short term as well reducing withdrawal reactions in high ethanol preferring rats. However this effect does not seem to be due a central brain mechanism . Medications can help people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol.The 14 participants, allowed to open only one drink at a time, were asked to drink from a mug that they set down on special tile topped table after each sip. Unbeknownst to the drinkers, the table doubled as a special calibrated scale that allowed the researchers to measure the changing volume in the beer mug and calculate the amount of beer in each sip.
Drinking Problems
Here is a list of 4 natural supplements that are just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs. A small case report involving 16 people with frequent cluster headaches found that kudzu root reduced headache intensity in 69% of people, frequency in 56%, and duration in 31% . Kudzu root is rich in antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from oxidative stress that can lead to disease.Kudzu has been used in Eastern medicine for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The lab-turned-apartment had a reclining chair, TV, DVD player, and a refrigerator stocked with each person’s favorite beer. Today, it’s used in China and other countries to treat coronary problems and blood-flow problems, Penetar says. Shen XL, Witt MR, Nielsen M, Sterner O. Inhibition of flunitrazepam binding to rat brain membranes in vitro by puerearin and daidzein. The room contained a small sink with an under-the-counter refrigerator where the beverages were kept.
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Recent research suggests that chemical compounds called isoflavones in the plant are the “active” ingredient in treating intoxication. This isn’t the first time kudzu has been used to treat alcohol-related issues, either. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, kudzu flower and root preparations have been used to help sober up. But promising as it is for rats, it remains to be seen whether the drug is safe and effective for people. So lowering the levels of that brain chemical dopamine should help control an alcoholic’s cravings. Virginia T. Latham, instructor in medicine, said she was “intrigued” by the report but was skeptical on whether kudzu could be used on humans. Bitter herbs have a long and successful tradition of use for a number of health purposes .Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. Diamond added that relapse may be the biggest problem facing physicians today. “We are talking about a patient who has the motivation to undergo a very unpleasant detoxification to try to stop drinking, and then gets into trouble afterward,” he said. “Nearly 80 percent of abstinent alcoholics or addicts relapse within a year. Current therapies for alcoholism help, but we can do much better.” A synthetic form of daidzin, called CVT-10216, can successfully reduce drinking and prevent relapse in preclinical rodent models.When the volunteers took the kudzu extract, they drank significantly less. On average, they consumed 3.5 (±0.55) beers when treated with placebo, and 2.4 (±0.41) beers when treated with puerarin. On average, the participants drank 1 1/2 beers while on kudzu treatment during the 1 1/2-hour sessions, compared with 2 1/2 beers during the placebo treatment.Tangerine Peel delivers several novel flavonoids that all offer numerous health advantages including enhancing metabolism, promoting detoxification, and protecting cells from free radical damage. Most importantly extracts of Tangerine Peel have been shown to enhance learning and memory.
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The Lukas study used 500-mg capsules of kudzu extract (NPI-031, Natural Pharmacia Int., Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC) containing sugar beet-based filler and 19% puerarin, 4% daidzin, and 2.0% daidzein. Participants in the Lukas study were instructed to take two 500-mg capsules three times daily. Potential health perks of taking kudzu root include decreasing alcohol intake, easing menopause symptoms, and regulating blood sugar levels. A small study showed that in heavy drinkers of alcohol, kudzu did result in a reduction of the number of beers consumed after 7 days of treatment. Image by _mequable from PixabayAlthough studies appear promising so far, the FDA hasn’t approved kudzu as a treatment for alcohol use disorder. There is a lot that is still unknown about how kudzu works, or its long term effects.Also, in China and India, kudzu is used as an aphrodisiac, contraceptive and diuretic. It is also used to treat angina pectoris and high blood pressure. Kudzu was initially brought to the United States in the late 1800s to control soil erosion. At first, it seemed this member of the pea family was going to be an excellent tool for farmers and gardeners alike. However, it soon turned into an invasive pest, consuming a half million acres in the Southeast, climbing over trees and shrubs and growing so rapidly that it killed much of the greenery with the heavy shade it created. In 1953, it was declared a pest weed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Treatment With Kudzu Extract Does Not Cause An Increase In Alcohol’s Intoxicating Effects, Study Finds
Found that after taking kudzu, participants took smaller sips, took longer to consume each beverage, and drank substantially fewer drinks. They are now studying a single large dose before a planned drinking session to see if it works, too. At the dose used in the study, three weeks’ worth costs about $6. After placebo treatment, three people drank five beers and one drank six.
- Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
- This was demonstrated in our previous study (Penetar et al., 2011) where pharmacokinetic parameters such as peak concentration and elimination time were not affected by kudzu.
- People have also used it in traditional Chinese medicine for heart disease, but scientists need to do more research on this .
- But today you can find it in the supplement aisle of most grocery stores.
- Subjects were all Caucasian, lower to middle income, residing in a small Midwestern town.
Kudzu is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth appropriately for up to 4 months or when injected intravenously for up to 20 days. Kudzu root is the edible root of a vine plant that’s native to several Asian countries. Other research suggests that kudzu supplements may also play a role in preventing migraine attacks. These are exciting findings, but much more research is needed before we can be sure.”Except that they lost their appetite for alcohol, doctors observed no side effects.” But before Penetar and Lukas—a Professor of Psychiatry at HMS—could endorse kudzu, they needed to be sure that it did not simply make individuals experience the same level of intoxication with half as much alcohol. If that were the case, taking the drug would help people get drunk faster rather than helping them drink less. A major limitation to this pilot is the small number of subjects evaluated and as such we caution any definitive interpretation of these interesting results. However, this pilot serves as the basis to further these studies and confirmation in a much larger cohort may have important treatment ramifications for not only alcoholism but possibly RDS behaviors as well.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. Research on kudzu for symptoms of menopause has been conflicting. Some research suggests that taking kudzu by mouth can reduce hot flashes and improve vaginal dryness in women going through menopause. Other research shows that taking kudzu does not affect sex hormone levels, blood fat levels, bone density, or other symptoms of menopause. However, it might have a positive effect on the mental abilities of postmenopausal women.Rat studies show that the reason that subjects consume less alcohol is that the isoflavonids found in kudzu root allow acetaldehyde to accumulate and this makes the alcohol less desirable. Kudzu root gets some serious rep’ for helping folks ease off of the booze.
American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff
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. 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. Prior studies of its antidipsotropic effect have focused on taste-aversion, alterations in alcohol metabolism or effects on neurotransmitters. Overstreet et al.’s study provides cursory evidence that a taste aversion mechanism is not likely.