A slightly increased concentration of alcohol in the brain results in a quicker reward, which in turn reduces a person’s desire to drink more alcohol. Lukas and Lee applied for, and were granted, a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence. McLean Hospital has licensed the production of kudzu extract (NPI-031) to Natural Pharmacie International (NPI), Inc. and they are marketing it as Alkontrol-Herbal®. 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.
- My experience was limited to an experiment that I did years ago to see if taking the herb would reduce my drinking levels.
- 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).
- As drinking behavior was measured using a wrist actigraphy device, we were able to monitor alcohol consumption continuously, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
- While the blood flow theory of kudzu for alcoholism may be true, there is likely more going on here.
- It’s been used for health purposes in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a really long time.
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Current use was defined as at least one drink in the past 30 days while binge use includes drinking five or more drinks per day. A small 2009 case report involving 16 people with regular cluster headaches provides some anecdotal evidence. Almost 3 in 4 participants had less intense headaches, more than half had fewer headaches, and 1 in 3 had shorter headaches when taking kudzu root. Along with easing uncomfortable symptoms, estrogen can help prevent bone loss after menopause. If you are trying to conceive, taking any medications, or have a medical condition, please consult your healthcare practitioner before using this product.
6 Alcohol Consumption—Follow-up Phase
The participants reported their desire for and consumption of alcohol for the duration of the study. Researchers found that the kudzu extract had no effect on alcohol cravings, but it reduced the number of weekly alcoholic drinks by 34–57% (2). Extracts of the kudzu plant are best known for their ability to suppress alcohol intake or alter alcohol effects by laboratory animals (Heyman et al., 1996; Keung and Vallee, 1993b; Keung, 2003; Overstreet et al., 1996; Rezvani et al., 2003; Benlhabib et al., 2004). The degree of reduction is often as high as 50% and the effects appeared within one to two days of treatment. Puerarin, daidzin and daidzein are the active isoflavones in kudzu. Regardless of the actual mechanism of action, it is widely accepted that the isoflavones in kudzu are effective in reducing alcohol intake in a number of mammalian species.
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- The rates of alcohol drinking during follow-up phase were also reduced compared to baseline in both the kudzu- and placebo-treated groups.
- There’s not a recommended dosage for kudzu root, but there have been human studies that can help guide you.
- These are exciting findings, but much more research is needed before we can be sure.
Kudzu root contains isoflavones and antioxidants that can help counteract the effects of alcohol on the body. It is believed to assist in reducing alcohol cravings and supporting liver function. Licorice roots, known as Gan Cao in TCM, have been used for centuries to treat various ailments, including hangovers.
- One animal study in particular demonstrated that kudzu extract and its major components are very safe, even after relatively large doses (2 g/day) over a 3-month treatment period (Keyler et al., (2002).
- Researchers have identified two constituents in kudzu responsible for this activity, daidzein and daidzin, which in animal research have been found to cause a similar effect.
- Three questions asked them to report how many alcoholic drinks, tobacco cigarettes and caffeinated beverages they consumed and two questions asked about bedtime and wake time.
How Traditional Chinese Medicine can help with Hangover Recovery
It’s important to note that these studies used kudzu extract, which may have contained other parts of the kudzu plant besides the root. Thus, scientists need to do more research kudzu recovery in this area on the effects of kudzu root specifically. Opening a bottle of wine ment finishing it and on tough days I could drink 2 bottles, even started sometimes in the morning.
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All tests were two-sided with significance level of 0.05 and were performed using SPSS software (version 19.0, IBM SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL). In spite of the compelling preclinical and clinical evidence of its efficacy, the precise mechanism of action of kudzu in reducing alcohol consumption is not currently known. Prior studies of its antidipsotropic effect have focused on taste-aversion, alterations in alcohol metabolism or effects on neurotransmitters. Overstreet et al.’s (1998) study provides cursory evidence that a taste aversion mechanism is not likely. Increases in 5-HIAL have been shown to be correlated with decreased alcohol consumption in hamsters (Keung et al., 1995). Kudzu’s alteration of alcohol consumption may be through direct effects at brain benzodiazepine receptors on the GABAA complex.