Kudzu Recovery For Alcoholics: How It Works

Supplementing with vitamins and minerals is also important because long-term alcohol consumption and dependence can deplete these elements, particularly the B vitamins. Finally, the role of Disulfiram because of its inhibition of Dopamine –Beta –Hydroxylase thereby increasing brain dopamine has been also proposed for cocaine abuse or possibly other RS behaviors 63. Currently we do not have a reasonable explanation as to why the subjects on Declinol did not have benefits related to both their inability to handle set-backs and or sleep (Table 3 and Figure 2).

Can Antabuse for Alcohol Dependence Be Bought OTC?

For those seeking help with alcohol addiction, valuable resources are available online. One such resource is AlcoholAwareness.org, which offers a wealth of information, support, and guidance for individuals and their families dealing with alcoholism. He worked for many years in mental health and substance abuse facilities kudzu to stop drinking 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. He has a nursing and business/technology degrees from The Johns Hopkins University.

Kudzu’s Benefits for Health

• Information and shareable resources to help others choose to drink less alcohol and be their best.
• So for those of us with the modest aim of just cutting back a bit, could kudzu really help?
• According to Dr David Penetar, external, a psychologist from Harvard Medical School who helped run that trial, it probably works by increasing blood flow to the brain.
• Umeboshi plum, which is strongly alkaline, neutralizes the harmful effects of excess stomach acid.
• Effect size is reported using the variance-accounted for statistic Partial Eta-Squared (η2Partial).

Curiously, kudzu appears to have this effect AND prevent people from becoming intoxicated with alcohol or nicotine more quickly. This aspect also requires more research into its use as a supplement, as the fact that symptoms of intoxication emerge faster offers an effective way of controlling alcohol and nicotine consumption. This product may adversely interact with certain health and medical conditions, other prescription and over-the-counter drugs, foods, or other dietary supplements. This product may be unsafe when used before surgery or other medical procedures. It is important to fully inform your doctor about the herbal, vitamins, mineral or any other supplements you are taking before any kind of surgery or medical procedure.

Alcohol Awareness Month

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. 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.

• While taking a kudzu supplement for alcohol cravings can be beneficial and has research-backed evidence to support it, there’s something critical to note.
• Our laboratory has been involved in assessing an extract of the kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) for its ability to reduce alcohol consumption in humans.
• When, however, they had taken the kudzu beforehand, they drank an average of 5.5 units, which meant that overall they had drunk about 20% less.
• Although blood samples were collected from all participants to examine the safety of kudzu, only the last 12 subjects had blood samples collected for quantitative analysis of puerarin levels.

Alcoholic Life Expectancy: Using Calculators and Examining Overall Impact of Alcohol Abuse

Your insurance plan may cover some or all of the cost of treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. Our online health insurance verification system will estimate your in-network and out-of-network deductibles, coinsurance percentages and out-of-pocket maximums. Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge. However, there are a lot of supplements that claim to contain it that are mostly cheap fillers. It is known to be extremely safe, with very few reported adverse side effects.

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 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). This profile differs somewhat from that of kudzu extract and may represent a novel herbal compound that may be a therapeutic candidate.

• Anecdotal sources say it may also be harmful to take with medications for diabetes or blood clotting.
• Of course, it is entirely possible that any of the above mechanisms may also develop with repeated administration and complement the immediate altered absorption effect that likely explains kudzu’s rapid onset of action.
• For instance, it may reduce the effectiveness of birth control due to its estrogenic effects (8, 17).
• The responses to comments on fitrecovery.com are designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment.
• Additionally, eliminating hot flashes and night sweats, an upset stomach and inflammation are all benefits that you may find from eating kudzu root or taking it as a supplement or tea.

Researchers at McLean Hospital near Boston report that an extract of the kudzu vine reduced the amount of alcohol consumed by test subjects. Kudzu is best known as a nuisance weed in the southern United States where it chokes off other plants. The scientists invited a group of heavy drinkers into a studio apartment and told them to watch TV and crack open a few beers. Those given the kudzu extract seemed to drink fewer beers, maybe because kudzu increases blood flow and delivers alcohol to the brain more quickly. 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.

In addition, responses to the audible prompts multiple times a day were used to assess desire to consume alcohol. There were no changes in any vital signs, hematology, blood chemistry, renal or liver function tests during the three phases of the study. The maximal possible observations were based on the number of side effect categories that were recorded, multiplied by the number of study days in each phase, which was then multiplied by the number of subjects participating in each study phase.

• Recent scientific studies have indicated that kudzu could be beneficial for reducing alcohol withdrawal symptoms 1.
• While it does not quite make the cut, it is definitely worth trying if you’re looking to cut down on or quit drinking.
• Although many different B vitamins can be impacted by drinking, one of the most dangerous B-vitamin deficiencies is thiamine or vitamin B1.
• This is the first ever pilot results showing that the complex Declinol, significantly reduced Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores in moderate to heavy drinkers in a naturalistic setting (Figure 1 and 2; Table 3).
• However, because it supports the immune system and alcohol suppresses it, some people may take supplements with selenium for its immune-boosting properties.

Healthy digestion and intestinal rhythm through plants

Furthermore, kudzu root has demonstrated potential benefits for heart health, diabetes management, antioxidant protection, and alleviating menopausal symptoms. However, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the effects of kudzu on the body. If a person wants to reduce their alcohol or tobacco intake, kudzu root is recommended because its active principles (daidzin, daidzein and puerarin) are effective in helping to combat desire to consume alcohol or nicotine.

In fact, one study demonstrated that kudzu could reduce alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers by https://ecosoberhouse.com/ as much as 50%. Regardless of the mechanism of action, the present finding that a modest, single dose of kudzu extract reduces binge drinking has profound implications as it offers a unique opportunity for early intervention for problem drinkers. As an herbal plant extract, kudzu can be made available without a prescription.