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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).
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Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on our site. If you take medicines, there’s an increased risk if you combine alcohol, kudzu and these substances. Kudzu, also known as Pueraria Montana, is a climbing vine that belongs to the pea family. This invasive weed is native to East Asia, particularly China, Japan, and Korea, where it has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
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- 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.
- In the second, participants who were treated for 4 weeks with kudzu extract significantly reduced their alcohol consumption during weeks 2 through 4 of the study (Lukas et al., 2013).
- These apps tend to center around numbers and setting goals, which can be “unhelpful” for some people, Ammon says.
- Kudzu is also known for its flower, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever, headache, and other ailments.
You should talk to your physician or an alcohol abuse specialist to find out the best approach in your situation. He suggested that they test Kudzu to see if it would reduce alcohol consumption among their rats. Fifty-one percent of adults over the age of 18 and 56% of those age 18–44, are current regular drinkers (Schiller et al., 2012).
However, it is essential to remember that kudzu alone is not a panacea for alcoholism. The information on our site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
- When the rewarding effects of alcohol aren’t present, it can diminish the motivation to drink more.
- However, its aggressive growth and lack of natural predators led to uncontrolled spreading, earning it the reputation of an invasive species.
- However, it is important to recognize that one of the major weaknesses of the measure that we used to record desire to drink alcohol was that it was unidimensional.
- He worked for many years in mental health and substance abuse facilities in Florida, as well as in home health (medical and psychiatric), and took care of people with medical and addictions problems at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
- Traditionally, various parts of the kudzu plant were utilized for medicinal, culinary, and agricultural purposes.
How to Use Kudzu for Alcoholism
Furthermore, because kudzu extract exerts its beneficial effects within hours of the first dose, it could be administered along with a prescription medication and provide “coverage” until the other medication begins to work. All of the above mentioned mechanisms, with the exception of a disulfiram-like one, require repeated administration and time to develop. Since consuming alcohol while taking kudzu extract is not aversive, another explanation is necessary to account for the extremely fast onset of action observed what is alcoholism in the present study. The correlational analysis of absolute amount of alcohol consumed and breath alcohol levels in this study indicates that the physiological effects and the rate of elimination of ingested alcohol are not altered by kudzu administration.
Can kudzu be taken in conjunction with other medications for alcoholism?
There are no studies showing that Kudzu can serve as a morning-after potion for reducing hangovers. Researcher’s evidence about Kudzu’s effectiveness is mixed and much more research is needed. Its name in Chinese, loosely translated, means “drunkenness dispeller.” The tea is often used to try to sober up after drinking and to relieve hangovers. Supported by Grant R01-AA10536 (SEL) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Grant K05-DA00343 (SEL) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and P01-AT (DYWL) from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- This is because isoflavones can help dilate blood vessels, allowing for better blood flow.
- They reported alcohol consumption and desire to use alcohol using a wrist actigraphy device; twice weekly laboratory visits were scheduled to monitor medication adherence and adverse events.
- However, if you want to cut down on drinking or detoxify your body during alcohol withdrawal, this plant may be able to help.
- Lukas and Lee hold a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.
Are there any side effects associated with taking kudzu for alcoholism?
In addition, this was not a treatment clinical trial, so the effects on alcohol intake might have been more robust in treatment-seeking individuals. Although the dose used in the present study has been vetted in prior studies, testing multiple doses would be helpful to fully explore the magnitude of effects of the kudzu root extract and determine if an even greater reduction in drinking is possible with a higher dose. Other limitations of the present study are the use of a rather narrow aged male population who drink only at moderate levels. This randomized between-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved two weeks of baseline, four weeks of treatment and two weeks of follow-up. Seventeen men (21–33 years) who reported drinking 27.6 ± 6.5 drinks/week with a diagnosis of alcohol abuse/dependence took either kudzu extract (250 mg isoflavones, t.i.d.) or matched placebo on a daily basis.
A single dose of kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm
Some even contain images that push thinness as an ideal body type, which excludes the rest of the population, she adds. Fitness and nutrition tracking apps provide an easy way to keep tabs on your health data. But new research suggests that you could accidentally work against your health goals when you use these platforms.
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. 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. Persons who responded to these advertisements were given a brief telephone screen, and invited to the laboratory for further evaluations. Persons of Asian descent were excluded because of their known increased flushing reaction to alcohol.
- Drinking data were collected using a small wristwatch-like device (ActiWatch® Score, MiniMitter Co., OR) and daily diaries.
- It has been hypothesized that kudzu extracts may speed up the body’s removal of ethanol by increasing the activity of enzymes involved in the breakdown of alcohol.
- Kudzu extract was administered in gelatin capsules containing 500 mg of extract (Alkontrol-Herbal™; NPI-031) prepared by Natural Pharmacia International, Inc., Burlington, MA.
- The aforementioned isoflavones are what help regulate hormones and in turn help combat the pesky symptoms that come along with PMS, perimenopause, and menopause.
Sala Saran is a bi-athlete and certified personal fitness trainer who is passionate about the life-transformative power of sports and fitness. Teaching a holistic perspective of the fitness lifestyle that is rooted in personal development, Saran shares her expertise in articles, columns and seminars to lead others to a discovery of their own power to transform their life experience. Antioxidants help neutralize these molecules, reducing the risk of oxidative stress and related health problems.
Kudzu contains compounds that are believed to reduce alcohol cravings and help with withdrawal symptoms. Kudzu extract was administered in gelatin capsules containing 500 mg of extract (Alkontrol-Herbal™; NPI-031) prepared by Natural Pharmacia International, Inc., Burlington, MA. The extract contained 26% (130 mg) active isoflavones (20% puerarin, 4% daidzin, 2% daidzein; an improved HPLC analysis revealed that the total puerarin content includes both puerarin and 3-methoxypuerarin.). Participants were randomized on a blind basis to receive either 4 capsules of the extract (for a total of 520 mg isoflavones) or placebo (sugar beet filler) 2.5 hours before the start of an afternoon drinking session.