For hundreds of years, practitioners of Chinese medicine have prescribed kudzu root for reducing alcohol intake. Starting in the early 1990s, researchers at Indiana University investigated this effect in rats’and in golden Syrian hamsters, which have a particular liking for alcohol. The results were very encouraging, with the animals’ voluntary alcohol intake reducing by more than half in most cases. Some medical scientists warn that chronic use of the root, especially during or shortly after drinking, may increase the risk of cancers.
Kudzu root may help treat alcohol dependence, liver damage, and menopausal symptoms. Scientists need to do more human studies to determine its effectiveness in other areas, like inflammation, heart health, and headaches. Another study found that people who took puerarin, an isoflavone extract from the kudzu plant, prior to drinking took longer to consume alcoholic beverages (3).
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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.
However, limited clinical studies exist to recommend use for any indication. DLPA (DL-phenylalanine) is a precursor to several neurotransmitters, including herbs to curb alcohol cravings dopamine. It is so promising that scientists have studied kudzu isoflavones to see if they can synthesize new products to support holistic sobriety.
6. Data Items
In the most specific sense, cravings refers to the subjective longing or desire to use drugs. Within this perspective, the subjective experience of cravings is considered to be the primary aspect of and driving force behind drug use [2]. Despite this, there are numerous outcomes beyond abstinence that can improve an individual’s quality of life, given the immense difficulty for addicted patients to remain abstinent. An alternative to reducing their alcohol consumption or even achieving abstinence would be offered to treat the cravings. Lukas was not certain why but speculated that kudzu increases blood alcohol levels and speeds up its effects.
