In China, the kudzu or gégēn is found growing in shaded areas along mountains, in the fields and along roadsides, in thickets and thin forests all over the country. For over 2,000 years, people have used kudzu root in traditional Chinese medicine for purposes like treating fevers, diarrhea, and even diabetes and heart disease (1). This article examines the benefits, uses, and potential side effects of kudzu root. However, if you want to cut down on drinking or detoxify your body during alcohol withdrawal, this plant may be able to help. Overconsumption of alcohol has significant negative effects on an individual’s health and contributes to an enormous economic impact on society as a whole. Pharmacotherapies to curb excessive drinking are important for treating alcohol use disorders.

  • Kudzu is a natural remedy that has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Scientists need to do more research to investigate the potential of kudzu root to cause liver injury in humans.
  • It’s important to note that these studies used kudzu extract, which may have contained other parts of the kudzu plant besides the root.
  • It’s important to note that this is a case study, so it can’t prove kudzu root caused this liver injury.
  • Kudzu has been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol cravings and consumption in the short term.
  • Along with morning and evening doses of medication or placebo, participants took 25 mg of riboflavin (vitamin B2), which causes fluorescence of urine when it is exposed to UV light.

Lukas’ study was inspired by Dr. Wing Ming Keung, a pathology professor at Harvard Medical School who has studied kudzu’s potential medical applications. After the first session, some subjects received capsules of kudzu, others a placebo. Some research specifically on the kudzu species Pueraria mirifica suggests that doses of 50–100 mg per day appear to have a low risk of adverse side effects (18). Kudzu root is rich in antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from oxidative stress that can lead to disease.

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It’s important to note that this is a case study, so it can’t prove kudzu root caused this liver injury. Scientists need to do more research to investigate the potential of kudzu root to cause liver injury in humans. One study in mice found that kudzu vine extract was highly beneficial in treating alcohol-induced liver damage by scavenging harmful free radicals and boosting the natural antioxidant system (6). The last study above was designed to test the hypothesis that kudzu accelerates the subjective experience of alcohol intoxication.

As you eliminate alcohol, which causes dehydration, your body will begin to absorb more water, improving the functioning of every organ, including your skin and your brain. Gradually, as cell turnover increases, the damage alcohol may have done will begin to be reversed. In addition to the health benefits listed below, research has found that those who give up alcohol for a month — whether it be Dry January, Lent or any other month — tend to drink less alcohol long-term. Kudzu works somewhat similarly to acamprosate in many ways, but since it is an approved prescription medication, there’s more clinical evidence to show the benefits of acamprosate. Some people have a genetic predisposition to becoming dependent on alcohol and may be more vulnerable to the reinforcing effects it can have. Can a plant most often used as a cooking ingredient really make you want to drink less?

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The root contains isoflavones, a compound that has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption in rats. Kudzu root extract is now widely used in the United States as a natural remedy for alcoholism. The rates of alcohol drinking during follow-up phase were also reduced compared to baseline in both the kudzu- and placebo-treated groups. We had not expected that any beneficial effects would remain after kudzu extract had cleared the body based on our pharmacokinetic results (Penetar et al., 2006).

  • Drinking alcohol tends to decrease your inhibitions, so it’s likely you’ll also eat more junk food.
  • It has been demonstrated however, that bitter receptors exist throughout the entire gastro-intestinal tract [17,18].
  • We employed two different biochemical methods (urinary riboflavin and plasma puerarin levels), to monitor medication adherence.
  • Keung, not directly involved in Lukas’ study, said he has extracted a compound from kudzu root that he hopes to turn into a drug for reducing alcoholics’ cravings.

It’s mentally defeating to try and curb excessive drinking, and you may find that you face a lot of regret after alcohol consumption, binge drinking or excessive drinking. Even when you don’t have the symptoms of alcohol use disorders, you may still consider natural options that will help you change your drinking behavior. Kudzu is a plant that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. In recent years, kudzu to stop drinking it has gained attention for its potential use in treating alcoholism. Kudzu contains compounds that are believed to reduce alcohol cravings and help with withdrawal symptoms. 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.