The reductions in drinking by kudzu extract were observed by the second week of treatment and persisted through the 4th week of treatment. In addition, the two treatments greatly differed in the percent of days abstinent as well as the number of consecutive days of abstinence. Increased consecutive days of abstinence is a desirable outcome of an alcohol treatment program, especially during the initial phases of treatment (Washton and Zweben, 2006). The fact that kudzu extract nearly doubled the number of consecutive days that individuals maintained abstinence Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that it may be a useful adjunct during the early weeks of treatment. The study consisted of a 2-week baseline period, 4 weeks of medication (subjects were randomized to either kudzu extract or placebo treatments) and a 2-week follow up period. Medication adherence was excellent and there were no adverse events, changes in vital signs, blood chemistry, renal or liver function.
Health Conditions
Although, seek advice from your GP before you commence any alternative therapies. It works by essentially increasing blood alcohol concentration, meaning people only need to drink a small amount to feel the effects of the alcohol. Kudzu for alcohol cravings is just one approach to reducing your intake, but addiction is a complicated psychological disease that requires a more comprehensive treatment plan. It’s never a good idea to combine alcohol with any substance, including herbal supplements.
May alleviate menopausal symptoms
The BAI scores were equally stable and ranged from 0.33 to 1.71 during treatment. In addition, the wrist actigraphy device was programmed to provide an audible “beep” every 3 hours ± 20 minutes to which the participant was required to enter a number between 0 (no desire) to 10 (greatest desire ever) to record his desire to drink alcohol AT THAT TIME. The ActiWatch® Score device contains an accelerometer that was used to record sleep/wake activity. We have previously reported on the sleep/wake patterns of the participants in this study (Bracken et al., 2011).
Research Studies
The modulation of this system could reduce alcohol cravings or help treat alcohol abuse by lowering anxiety levels and stress that are often triggers to drink. Kudzu contains isoflavones, which is part of why it potentially reduces alcohol consumption. Studies have looked at the benefits of kudzu extracts for managing menopause symptoms like mood swings and hot flashes. Sporadic missing data from the actiwatches were filled in from the back up daily diary data. Data due to dropouts were handled as missing data and no values were entered. Missing data points within the treatment weeks in non dropout participants were Missing Completely at Random and so were imputed using multiple regression.
- The researchers next plan to use Magnetic Resonance Imaging to examine the effects of kudzu on how quickly alcohol gets into the brain.
- Furthermore, there is a need to develop efficacious medicines from natural products that have a low incidence of side effects or toxicity (Xu et al., 2005).
- It is quite likely that the desire to use alcohol in an outpatient setting cannot be captured with a single question; we also observed an absence of an effect on desire for alcohol in our previous study (Lukas et al., 2005).
- 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.
- Cravings are often linked to the rewarding effects of alcohol, so kudzu’s ability to change the dopamine system can impact cravings and their intensity.
- For alcoholics, Kudzu is definitely worth trying, especially given the fact there is no risk involved.
- While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 1200 mg of dry powder daily.
- Regardless of the mechanism of action, the present finding that a modest, single dose of kudzu extract reduces binge drinking has profound implications as it offers a unique opportunity for early intervention for problem drinkers.
In addition, the diaries permitted the participants to enter additional data that could not be recorded on the watch. You can find kudzu root for purchase in many supplement stores or online. 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. Scientists need to do more research on the safe and effective dosages of kudzu root for various uses. Some health companies sell the kudzu root species Pueraria mirifica as a supplement for menopausal and postmenopausal women. People often eat different parts of the plant raw, sautéed, deep-fried, baked, or jellied.
However, these studies were conducted on lone individuals drinking within highly controlled laboratory conditions. 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. If you take medicines, there’s an increased risk if you combine alcohol, kudzu and these substances. The interactions can affect the metabolism and how effective medicines are. 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. Therefore, you must take it for at least 2-4 weeks to notice most of the benefits.
We found that, on average, each person consumed 7 units of alcohol after the placebo and, on average, 5.5 units after the kudzu. The root in particular is valued for its medicinal properties, and the beneficial effects are thought be down to a group of compounds found in high concentrations within the plant, called isoflavones. Research has found that kudzu can help improve insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, kudzu may kudzu and alcohol help reduce inflammation, which is often a contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes. Alcohol can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, and kudzu can also have potential effects on the digestive system.