A Single Dose of Kudzu Extract Reduces Alcohol Consumption in a Binge Drinking Paradigm

Although kudzu is used in traditional medicine, the evidence on whether it has benefit for any condition is unclear. Kudzu is an herb used in Chinese medicine to treat alcoholism, heart disease, menopausal symptoms, diabetes, fever, the common cold, and neck or eye pain. Lab studies suggest that kudzu has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Compounds called isoflavones are thought to be responsible for its potential effects. Between drinks, the subjects rested their beer on a scale so researchers could monitor exactly how much they were drinking. They then either took 500 mg kudzu plant capsules three times a day or a placebo for a week and then returned to the lab.

The Study: Kudzu Extract’s Impact on Alcohol Consumption

They rarely capture the complexity of a plant and there is so little regulation of the market that you literally don’t know what you are buying. Pueraria lobata, also known as kudzu, is an adaptogenic herb with a long history of use for reducing the intensity of migraines and hangovers. This article is about the main benefits of kudzu, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more. Kudzu’s potential to regulate blood pressure may interact with medications used to treat hypertension. Your healthcare provider can help adjust your medication as needed if you Sobriety plan to use Kudzu. While Kudzu’s medicinal benefits are intriguing, it’s important to approach its use with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

• The study was conducted on 14 men and women, average age 24 years, in a “laboratory” apartment where each person was allowed to drink as many as six beers.
• In studies with alcohol-addicted mice, ashwagandha seemed to relieve anxiety.
• The amount of alcohol consumed was calculated for each group (1 unit per drink of beer or spirits, 1.6 units per glass of wine).

Side Effects and Safety

Hovenia also showed neuroprotective activity against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the mouse hippocampus166. Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are defined as alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, which create large problems both for society and for the drinkers themselves. Understanding the underlying mechanisms leading to AUD is critically important for developing effective and safe pharmacological therapies. Benzodiazepines (BZs) are used to reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. However, frequent use of BZs causes cross-tolerance, dependence, and cross-addiction to alcohol. The FDA-approved naltrexone and acamprosate have shown mixed results in clinical trials.

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with Kudzu

• However, its aggressive growth and lack of natural predators led to uncontrolled spreading, earning it the reputation of an invasive species.
• Traditionally, various parts of the kudzu plant were utilized for medicinal, culinary, and agricultural purposes.
• 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.
• Significant induction of cytoprotective heat-shock proteins HSP27 and HSP70 was found in the ginseng-administrated rats, which suggested that the restoration of these proteins might contribute to preventing alcohol-induced gastric injuries 96.

There isn’t much scientific evidence available kudzu and alcohol on the dosing for kudzu root as a supplement. For instance, it may reduce the effectiveness of birth control due to its estrogenic effects (8, 17). While kudzu root may offer a few specific benefits, there are also some potential downsides to consider. Until the effects of kudzu can be quantified properly in a larger study, then, and a standardised product is available on the market with the THR mark, it’s not something we can recommend you take.