A single dose of kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm

The room contained a small sink with an under-the-counter refrigerator where the beverages (beer, juice, and water) were kept. 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. 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). While kudzu root may offer a few specific benefits, there are also some potential downsides to consider.

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One Chinese herbal medicine, XJL (NPI-028), has long been used to reduce the inebriation that results from alcohol consumption. NPI-028 contains the extracts of several plants including Puerariae lobata (kudzu) and Citrus reticulata, which have long been used to lower intoxication (Sun, 600). Rooke et al., (2000) has suggested that puerarin may block kudzu to stop drinking biogenic amine metabolic pathways, resulting in an alteration in central reward pathways. In our most recent study (Penetar et al., 2011) we provided evidence that kudzu extract may alter blood ethanol levels after an acute drinking episode. In fact, we reported that kudzu extract did just that and interrupted binge drinking (Lukas et al., 2005).

• It is not known whether kudzu root extract has an effect on sleep stages, because this study did not record night-time polysomnography or assess sleep architecture.
• Kudzu is native to Asia, particularly China, Japan and Korea, and has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries.
• This phenomenon therefore can create a strong synergy of action as complementary nutrients are made available in a timely fashion for ongoing bodily processes.
• Kudzu is also known for its flower, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever, headache, and other ailments.
• Another study conducted in 2013, also by David M Penetar and his colleagues5, evaluated the efficacy and safety of kudzu extract in men and women who were not seeking treatment for alcohol addiction.
• It also provides links to worksheets to help you get started with your own plan to resist pressure to drink.

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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. It is quite likely that the desire to use alcohol in an outpatient setting cannot be captured with a single question; we also observed an absence of an effect on desire for alcohol in our previous study (Lukas et al., 2005). McLean Hospital has licensed the production of kudzu extract (NPI-031) to Natural Pharmacia International (NPI), https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Inc. and they are marketing it as Alkontrol-Herbal®. Drinking was recorded using a custom built end table that contained a digital scale beneath a ceramic tile insert in the tabletop (Ohaus model #B10P with I5S controller). Participants were instructed to always keep the beer glass on the table except when taking a sip. The scale was connected to a computer in an adjacent room that ran a customized program that sampled the scale at 5 Hz and detected any weight changes that exceeded 1 gm.

5 Alcohol Consumption—Treatment Phase

Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention. While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease.

A major limitation to this pilot is the small number of subjects evaluated and as such we caution any definitive interpretation of these interesting results. However, this pilot serves as the basis to further these studies and confirmation in a much larger cohort may have important treatment ramifications for not only alcoholism but possibly RDS behaviors as well. To our knowledge the present pilot is the first such study in the world that has systematically evaluated this novel complex in humans. Chai hu (Bupleuri radix), one of the most frequently used herbs in Chinese herbal medicine, has positive benefits in cases of liver toxicity especially due to alcoholism [39], analgesic properties [40] as well as sedative activity [41]. Furthermore, Duffy et al. [34] reported using multiple regression analyses, greater bitterness from 3.2 mMPROP was a significant predictor of greater ethanol intensity and less alcohol intake.

• 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.
• Although there is no specific medicine to combat alcoholism or tobacco addition, through herbal medicine such as kudzu root extract, phytotherapy seeks to offer remedies for the problems caused by society’s excesses.
• When given equal amounts of alcohol, kudzu- and placebo-treated individuals respond similarly (Penetar et al., 2011).
• In this article, I’m going to discuss how to use kudzu recovery for alcoholism.

1 Participant Flow Through Study

• Furthermore, the men who took kudzu had fewer heavy drinking days per week and had significantly more consecutive days with no alcohol consumption (2).
• After completion of the program each subject re-took the AUD questionnaire and also filled out an exit interview.
• This product may be unsafe when used before surgery or other medical procedures.
• For over 2,000 years, people have used kudzu root in traditional Chinese medicine for purposes like treating fevers, diarrhea, and even diabetes and heart disease (1).

4 Alcohol Consumption—Baseline Phase

Clinical Overview