Kudzu root is available in lots of forms including capsules, liquid extracts, and powder. There’s not a recommended dosage for kudzu root, but there have been human studies that can help guide you. In 2012, I ordered some high-quality organic kudzu capsules after reading about the potential for it to curb alcohol consumption. I took several capsules per day before drinking, and went through all of it in about one month. Nor will it drastically enhance your quality of life after the first dose. However, if you want to cut down on drinking or detoxify your body during alcohol withdrawal, this plant may be able to help.
Kudzu’s Benefits for Health
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.
Other potential health benefits
- All other authors declare that they have no actual or potential conflict of interest that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, this work.
- The history of alcohol use can be traced back to 9000 years ago, when people discovered how to make fermented beverages9.
- However, it is essential to remember that kudzu alone is not a panacea for alcoholism.
- However, due to the lack of scientific evaluation of the properties of herbal medicines, the use of these herbal medicines has been greatly restricted.
- Participants continued to take their medication through the morning of day 9 prior to the alcohol drink challenge.
To this day, researchers are still finding new ways to utilize kudzu roots in modern medicine. The appropriate dose of kudzu depends on several factors such as the user’s age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine kudzu root alcohol an appropriate range of doses for kudzu. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa) The Natural Skin Healer
When used responsibly and with professional guidance, kudzu root may offer a natural and valuable contribution to your health and well-being. Monitoring your response to kudzu root and being vigilant for any adverse effects is essential. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have underlying health conditions, always seek professional advice before using kudzu. Kudzu root offers a wide range of potential benefits, making it a subject of interest for those seeking natural remedies to enhance their well-being. While the plant is aesthetically pleasing, its true value lies in its medicinal properties. Historically, the roots of this climbing plant are used to treat fever, alleviate diarrhea, and manage heart diseases.
Historically, people in Asia have used herbal medicines and dietary supplements for the treatment of excessive alcohol consumption and AWS. Although the precise chemical composition and mechanism are often unclear, many medicinal plants have been used to treat alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse for centuries, and some have shown efficacy. However, due to the lack of scientific evaluation of the properties of herbal medicines, the use of these herbal medicines has been greatly restricted. Recently, medical scientists re-evaluated the efficacy of some herbal medicines using modern scientific approaches. The GABAAR α5 subunit knockout mice showed reduced EtOH preference31,82,83. Both studies suggest GABAAR involvement in mediating drinking behavior.
In contrast, tonic inhibition is mediated by highly sensitive GABAARs in peri- and extrasynaptic membrane where α4/α6-containing GABAAR subunits are predominantly located and partner with the exclusively extrasynaptic δ subunits27,62,63. They are activated by ambient extracellular GABA or from ‘spillover’ of GABA from synaptic signaling, thought to be in the range of 100 nmol/L to 1 μmol/L64,65,66. Given this distinction, the study of synaptic vs extrasynaptic GABAARs and EtOH effects on these receptors is essential to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the development of EtOH tolerance and dependence.
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. You can find kudzu root supplements easily online and in a variety of natural food or supplement stores. Scientists need to do more research on the safe and effective dosages of kudzu root for various uses. 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). Furthermore, it’s likely that the suggested doses for kudzu root will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of supplement you may be considering. There isn’t much scientific evidence available on the dosing for kudzu root as a supplement.
- The aforementioned isoflavones are what help regulate hormones and in turn help combat the pesky symptoms that come along with PMS, perimenopause, and menopause.
- The arrowroot starch derived from the Kudzu plant is also used in cooking as a thickener.
- In contrast, the down-regulation of postsynaptic α1βγ2 GABAARs are observed, but only after several hours68,72.
- This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version.
- In laboratory studies, naltrexone has been shown to reduce the number of drinks consumed120,121.
Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. 2006
Many pilot studies for improving BZs and/or related non-BZs acting at the same sites have failed. Furthermore, the frequent use of BZs can lead to dependence and cross-tolerance to alcohol109,116. Together they are an even worse addiction problem and difficult to overcome. Therefore, BZs are not considered to be the proper choice for AWS117,118.
- Kudzu root is a fascinating herbal remedy with numerous potential benefits for health and wellness.
- The major dependent variable was self-reported alcohol consumption as measured via the wrist actigraphy device.
- Other GABAergic medications represent potentially promising drugs useful for the treatment of AWS and for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence.
- These pathways may be sensitive not only to alcohol directly, but also to acetaldehyde levels also (Melis et al., 2009; Sanchez-Catalan et al., 2009).
The test structure consists of 6 blocks and 3 sub-blocks, each containing 20 trials (letter presentations). The presentation order of the different ISIs varies between blocks and takes about 15 minutes to complete. The CPT II was administered on a separate laptop computer in the experimental chamber at 45 and 60 minutes after alcohol administration; after 1 hour, CPT II was administered every 30 minutes until the end of the session at 3 hours. A new custom-built platform, based on an earlier design (Lukas et al., 1989) was used to measure stance stability/body sway.
Effects of social drinking
It has shown promise in reducing alcohol dependence, supporting liver health, stimulating collagen in the skin, and potentially aiding in weight loss. However, it is not without its share of side effects and contraindications. In conclusion, while kudzu shows promise as a natural remedy for alcoholism, more rigorous clinical studies are needed to determine its effectiveness.