Stop Drinking Alcohol With Complementary and Home Remedies

The study was not designed to answer the question of why kudzu plant works, and theories are still being formed within the Western medical community. Chinese medicine has used the kudzu plant ( ge gen ) for centuries to treat stiff neck, sprains, thirst and diarrhea, and to reduce drinking. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology states that kudzu’s traditional functions date back to Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing , originally compiled in the second century. Today, researchers are exploring this Chinese herb’s use in Detoxification therapy and to reduce alcohol consumption abuse. A standardized formulation of kudzu extract produced minimal side effects, was well-tolerated, and resulted in a modest reduction in alcohol consumption in young nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers. Additional studies using treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent persons will be necessary to determine the usefulness of this herbal preparation in reducing alcohol use in other populations.

• 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).
• My experience was limited to an experiment that I did years ago to see if taking the herb would reduce my drinking levels.
• While this is a small pilot study requiring additional large scale controlled studies, we are encouraged.
• Many menopausal women have undergone hormone replacement therapy to combat their symptoms.
• Behavior-observing researchers did not know who had been given what.

Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version. The information we provide while responding to comments is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The responses to comments on fitrecovery.com are designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition.

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with KUDZU

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You can eat the root as you would other root vegetables, like potatoes or rutabagas. Kudzu roots can be dried and ground into a powder, which some people use as breading for fried foods or as a thickener for soups and sauces. The plant Cytisus laburnum from which cytisine is derived is traditionally used as an emetic and purgative, so nausea and vomiting is the main side effect. Like verenicline, it can disrupt the sleep cycle and cause nightmares. It has spread to South Africa, Malaysia, and the western Pacific Islands.

Herbal Remedies for Quitting Drinking

It is often touted as a means of restoring liver health and protecting against liver damage from too much alcohol. Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement made from the Withania somnifera plant. Many people have reported success soaking infected nails in 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water.

They then either took 500 mg kudzu plant capsules three times a day or a placebo for a week and then returned to the lab. After observation, there was a “washout” period and treatments were then reversed – those who had been taking kudzu plant were given a placebo and https://ecosoberhouse.com/ vice versa. Behavior-observing researchers did not know who had been given what. The subjects who had been taking kudzu plant showed almost a 50 percent average decrease in beer intake and took smaller sips, while placebo takers drank the same quantity as before.

Kudzu Recovery: My Experience With Kudzu

A bit of kudzu likely won’t hurt after the occasional night of drinking, although research has yet to conclusively prove that the herb is a true, or safe, hangover cure (x). Metabolic syndrome is a condition notorious for its cluster of health issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or abnormal triglyceride levels. If left unchecked, metabolic syndrome can increase your risk of developing heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 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). There isn’t much scientific evidence available on the dosing for kudzu root as a supplement.

However, daidzin can reduce drinking in some rodents without necessarily increasing acetaldehyde. “Recently, preclinical studies with animals have shown reductions in alcohol consumption when treated with isoflavones contained in the kudzu root,” said Penetar. “Therefore, the next step in the research was to assess the effects of kudzu extract on different physical, behavioral and cognitive features in humans.” This is the first demonstration that a single dose of kudzu extract quickly reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm. These data add to the mounting clinical evidence that kudzu extract may be a safe and effective adjunctive pharmacotherapy for alcohol abuse and dependence. Between drinks, the subjects rested their beer on a scale so researchers could monitor exactly how much they were drinking.

When broken down, kudzu root has a thick and sticky consistency resembling a type of mucus that naturally coats the lining of the stomach. Because of its similarity to stomach mucus, kudzu can help counteract acid buildup in the stomach. Try adding kudzu to your list of natural treatments for an upset stomach.

Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking St. John’s wort. In studies with alcohol-addicted mice, ashwagandha seemed to relieve anxiety. More studies would be needed to see if it works the same way in humans. Herbal supplements may help to ease withdrawal symptoms, speed liver healing, and help to relieve alcohol cravings. People with AUD who quit drinking abruptly may go into alcohol withdrawal.

Potential benefits of kudzu root

Kudzu may also help heavy drinkers cut the amount of alcohol they consume, even if they are not being treated for AUD. Kudzu extract has shown some promise in helping people avoid binge drinking. kudzu extract for alcoholism Binge drinking is when someone has more than four or five drinks in two hours. While kudzu extract won’t magically turn alcoholics into nondrinkers, it might help others cut back on booze.

• Gegen is the root of Pueraia lobata, also known as the root of Kudzu, which has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for promoting circulation and increasing blood flow.
• Increasing evidence shows that Radix Pueraiae may be beneficial for the treatment of alcohol abuse.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) involve individual and group therapy and education to give you tools to help you stop drinking.
• Kudzu did what it was supposed to do – it curbed my drinking noticeably.
• Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

If I had been committed to using kudzu to wean off of alcohol and then quit, it might have been a very valuable part of my recovery. I did not know at the time that people also use kudzu to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms; nor did I care, because I did not intend to quit at the time. 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 Pharmacia 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. Researchers at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston studied a major component of the kudzu root, called puerarin.

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Kudzu is considered safe, with few side effects other than the potential for an allergic reaction to the plant. If you have any questions about using kudzu recovery for alcoholism, please leave them in the comment box below. In my opinion, the Planetary Herbals brand is a great option for someone who has not yet quit drinking, and who wants to try pure kudzu powder on its own. Kudzu can be purchased with ease online and it won’t break the bank.