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). 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). During the baseline session, the placebo-randomized group consumed 2.7 ± 0.78 beers before treatment and increased consumption to 3.4 ± 1.1 beers after treatment.
Therefore, it could be used as an aversion therapy for alcohol use disorder [40]. The extract of Kudzu is a safe and effective product for alcohol use disorder. It is the only natural medication regarded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to treat alcohol use disorder [44]. In a clinical population study, kudzu treatment resulted in significant reduction in alcohol intake in a naturalistic setting. The number of beers consumed and the volume of each sip was decreased while the number of sips and the time to consume each beer was increased. In another study, 20 men participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind design experiment, where kudzu extract (2 g) with an active isoflavone content of 520 mg, quickly reduced alcohol intake in a binge drinking paradigm [46].
David Y.-W. Lee
It is a perennial leguminous vine and has been used also as food in Japan and China. The root of kudzu was first described in the Chinese literature (Shengnong Bencao Jing, 1278AD) as sweet and acrid in taste, cool in nature, and useful as an antipyretic, antidiarrhetic, diaphoretic, and anti-emetic agent (Keung and Vallee, 1998). Kudzu was also listed in the most comprehensive medical book of the time, Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), compiled by Li Shi-zhen (Li, 1596), in which it was said to treat diabetes and reduce liver intoxication induced by alcohol. However, these claims of efficacy are difficult to assess because the evidence is anecdotal and there were many different preparations over the centuries.
The majority of the increase in use of alternative therapies was due to herbal medicines as they were used by 2.5% of the population in 1990 by 12.1% in 19 97, and in 2007, 38.3% of adults used some form of CAM. The rates of use, as determined by this national survey, ranged from 32% to 54% of the population and spanned all socio-demographic groups. In general, use was the highest among women (48.9% vs 37.8%), those with some college education versus no college (50.6% versus 36.4%) and in year olds (50.1%). Also, 58.3% of the respondents paid for their alternative therapy out-of-pocket, which equated to $33.9 billion in 2009.
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The extracts of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) have detoxifying and antioxidant effects. The leafy parts of thyme and its essential oil have been widely used in food for flavor, aroma and preservation and also in traditional medicines [73]. The essential oil of thyme has showed free radical scavenging and antibacterial activity [74], and it could detoxify alcohol toxicity. Thymol was the major component (44.4%–58.1%), followed by p-cymene (9.1%–18.5%), γ-terpinene (6.9%–18.9%), and carvacrol (2.4%–4.2%) in the tested oil samples [75]. The water extract of thyme possessed the ability of detoxifying the injuries of alcohol on liver and brain in mice. It could decrease nitric oxide and MDA level in liver and brain, and increase the total antioxidant capacity and GPx activity [76].
- Natural Pharmacia International supplied us with puerarin (NPI-031G) so that we could study the effects of the major isoflavone in kudzu extract on alcohol consumption in the same naturalistic setting that we used to study kudzu extract (Lukas et al, 2005).
- Puerarin (600 mg, b.i.d.) was administered in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design for one week prior to an afternoon 1.5 h drinking session.
- As a result, Trigonela foenum-graecum might have a positive influence on suppressing the abnormalities induced by alcohol in chronic alcohol liver diseases through its antioxidant properties.
- Current use was defined as at least one drink in the past 30 days while binge use includes drinking five or more drinks per day.
- We developed a standardized kudzu extract that preserved the ratio of the major isoflavones found in the raw root, except that the concentration of isoflavones was increased to 25%.
Therefore, effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs or foods might be useful for alleviating the harmful health consequences of excessive alcohol consumption [27,28,29,30]. Furthermore, kudzu root has demonstrated potential benefits for heart health, diabetes management, antioxidant protection, and alleviating menopausal symptoms. However, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the effects of kudzu on the body.
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Several natural plants and products showed positive effects on alcohol metabolism in animal and human studies. They could upgrade the levels of ADH and ALDH in liver and decrease the concentration of alcohol in blood. Studies have showed that oxidative stress, much https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of it produced by activating NADPH oxidase, is a dominating mediator of a number of the pathogenic effects of excessive chronic alcohol consumption [23]. Cytochrome P450s, especially cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), is also involved in the oxidation of alcohol.
The arrowroot starch derived from the Kudzu plant is also used in cooking as a thickener. The plant contains phytoestrogens, which are compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. For instance, it may reduce the effectiveness of birth control due to its estrogenic effects (8, 17). Some health companies sell the kudzu root species Pueraria mirifica as a supplement for menopausal and postmenopausal women.
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. Our laboratory has been involved https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/kudzu-extract-and-alcohol-addiction-can-it-help-you-drink-less/ in assessing an extract of the kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) for its ability to reduce alcohol consumption in humans. In the first, kudzu extract was administered for 7 days and acute binge drinking was suppressed (Lukas et al., 2005).