Extracts of kudzu root have been used in Asia since around 600 AD to curb addiction and to improve the body’s overall wellbeing. Kudzu doesn’t seem to alter the urge to drink, but rather how quickly you top yourself up. A recent study, external carried out in a lab of healthy male and female volunteers https://ecosoberhouse.com/ found that after taking a particular extract of the kudzu plant, called puerarin, people drank more slowly, taking more time between sips. Findings show that subjects who took kudzu drank an average of 1.8 beers per session, compared with the 3.5 beers consumed by those who took a placebo.
Anti-dipsotropic isoflavones: the potential therapeutic agents for alcohol dependence
It is important to talk to a healthcare professional before taking kudzu, especially if you have liver disease or are taking prescription medication. Studies have shown that kudzu may work by increasing blood flow to the brain, reducing the desire to drink, and reducing the severity of hangovers. But, we’ll preface this by saying that unlike other super common herbal supplements, kudzu hasn’t been widely tested—although preliminary studies do look promising.
How Cravings Work in the Brain
Separate general linear model ANOVAs for data with repeated measurements were used to analyze the number of drinks per week and the number of heavy drinking days per week. The two treatments (kudzu and placebo) kudzu to stop drinking were analyzed as fixed effects and time (weeks since randomization) as a repeated-measurements effect. Effect size is reported using the variance-accounted for statistic Partial Eta-Squared (η2Partial).
Daidzin decreases ethanol consumption in rats
Researcher’s evidence about Kudzu’s effectiveness is mixed and much more research is needed. Its name in Chinese, loosely translated, means “drunkenness dispeller.” The tea is often used to try to sober up after drinking and to relieve hangovers. Although no one knows exactly why kudzu increases sobriety, researchers theorize that the herb speeds alcohol’s effect on the head.
A standardized kudzu extract (NPI- reduces alcohol consumption in nontreatment-seeking male heavy drinkers
In recent years, various natural alternatives have emerged as potential treatments for controlling alcohol and tobacco addiction. Several studies on kudzu have shown that the root helps to reduce alcohol or nicotine intake. This is because the three main isoflavones present in kudzu extracts – daidzin, daidzein and puerarin – are responsible for the beneficial effects of reducing alcohol and nicotine consumption 2. It is not known whether kudzu root extract has an effect on sleep stages, because this study did not record night-time polysomnography or assess sleep architecture. First, this method allowed us to assess sleep continuously for the entire 9-day treatment periods. Second, one goal of this study was to measure behavior and craving while participants went about their daily lives, and use of the wrist actigraphy device allowed this assessment to take place in the participants’ home environments.
Investigational drug therapies in phase I and phase II clinical trials for alcohol use disorders
- 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.
- The root contains isoflavones, a compound that has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption in rats.
- This reduction in alcohol consumption can be particularly beneficial during the early stages of recovery when cravings are intense.
- Ultimately, a comprehensive approach to health and well-being, including evidence-based treatments, remains paramount.
If you’re looking for kudzu to reduce cravings for alcohol, it’its root extract, specifically’is most often sold in tablet form for this purpose. You can purchase kudzu root extract in dissolvable form’including in tea bags’that can be added to soups or other dishes. If a person wants to reduce their alcohol or tobacco intake, kudzu root is recommended because its active principles (daidzin, daidzein and puerarin) are effective in helping to combat desire to consume alcohol or nicotine. The major dependent variable was self-reported alcohol consumption as measured via the wrist actigraphy device.
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Increases in 5-HIAL have been shown to be correlated with decreased alcohol consumption in hamsters (Keung et al., 1995). Kudzu’s alteration of alcohol consumption may be through direct effects at brain benzodiazepine receptors on the GABAA complex. Any effect kudzu root extract may have on sleep is an important consideration for administration of this preparation as a potential medication to treat alcohol dependence. This double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial tested the effects of kudzu root extract on the sleep/wake cycles of a population who continued to drink in their normal pattern, and thus were not experiencing withdrawal-related sleep disturbances.
Daidzin suppresses ethanol consumption by Syrian golden hamsters without blocking acetaldehyde metabolism
8 Other Effects
- Kudzu may also help reduce the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
- If you have any questions about using kudzu recovery for alcoholism, please leave them in the comment box below.
- Furthermore, the men who took kudzu had fewer heavy drinking days per week and had significantly more consecutive days with no alcohol consumption (2).
- 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.
- We previously demonstrated that short-term treatment with a standardized kudzu extract (NPI-031) reduced alcohol drinking by men and women in a natural setting.
- Lukas and Lee hold a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.
- The kudzu group significantly reduced consumption from 3.0 ± 1.7 at baseline to 1.9 ± 1.3 beers after treatment.
