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All participants were recruited following approval by the McLean Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB). Moderate drinkers were recruited from the community through advertisements in local and college newspapers as well as advertisements posted on bulletin boards in the Boston area. They also were assessed for, and were free of, any Axis I disorders Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders,19 including drug and alcohol use disorders. Kudzu has been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol cravings and consumption in the short term. However, more research is needed to determine its long-term effectiveness in promoting alcoholism recovery. Furthermore, kudzu root has demonstrated potential benefits for heart health, diabetes management, antioxidant protection, and alleviating menopausal symptoms.
Kudzu, the medicinal plant for combating withdrawal symptoms.
- Researchers have proposed and tested various hypotheses to explain kudzu root’s strange ability to curb alcohol consumption.
- Kudzu may also interact with certain medications, such as disulfiram (Antabuse) and methotrexate.
- The ActiWatch has a small button and digital LED faceplate and participants wore the device 24 hours a day for the entire 8-week study and were asked to record all drug and alcohol use by pressing the button to enter the proper code.
- Kudzu’s alteration of alcohol consumption may be through direct effects at brain benzodiazepine receptors on the GABAA complex.
- Inclusion criteria included good physical and mental health, a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30, ages between 21 and 40 yrs, and a self-reported drinking pattern of 15 drinks per week or incidences of binge drinking 2 or more times per week.
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. After the first session, some subjects received capsules of kudzu, others a placebo. AlcoholAwareness.org provides a platform where you can access various free resources, including articles, self-assessment tools, and information about local support https://ecosoberhouse.com/ groups and treatment centers. These resources can be instrumental in guiding you toward effective strategies for overcoming alcoholism. Reach out to healthcare providers, counselors, and support groups to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your needs. Remember that every individual’s journey to recovery is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another.
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New research shows that consuming extract of kudzu root may help reduce binge drinking. But the reason may be that kudzu improves circulation, delivering the effects of alchohol more efficiently to the brain. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is a plant native to Asia that belongs to the legume family. It has traditionally been prescribed as a medicinal treatment for flu and colds. Recent scientific studies have indicated that kudzu could be beneficial for reducing alcohol withdrawal symptoms 1.
The weed that whacks binge drinking
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.). kudzu to stop drinking 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. This pretreatment time was selected based on our pharmacokinetic study of puerarin absorption and elimination (Penetar et al., 2006).
Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. 2006
Using the continuous measure of alcohol consumption, drinking was quantified using a number of different variables as noted above. In addition, responses to the audible prompts multiple times a day were used to assess desire to consume alcohol. 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.
Studies on the effectiveness of kudzu for alcoholism have shown mixed results. While some studies have shown promising results, others have found no significant difference between kudzu and a placebo. It is important to note that kudzu should not be used as a substitute for professional medical treatment for alcoholism. Lukas and Lee hold a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence. McLean Hospital has licensed the production of kudzu extract (NPI-031) to Natural Pharmacia International (NPI), Inc. that markets it as Alkontrol-Herbal™.
- Missing data points within the treatment weeks in non dropout participants were Missing Completely at Random and so were imputed using multiple regression.
- Kudzu is a plant that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
- All of the above factors may have contributed to the negative findings of this study.
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders (Research Version)
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- In the second study, 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).
- However, limited clinical studies exist to recommend use for any indication.
- This interpretation of kudzu’s possible mechanism of action was also suggested by Wong et al. (2011) who postulated that kudzu alters peripheral and cerebral blood flow.
