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What Is Kudzu Used for Today?
Besides cooking with it, feeding it to animals, and weaving baskets out of its rubbery vines, kudzu may also be useful in treating alcoholism . In Chinese folk medicine, a tea brewed from kudzu root is believed to be useful in sobering up people who are intoxicated by alcohol. Taking the hint, a 1993 study evaluated the effects of kudzu in a species of hamsters known to enjoy drinking alcohol to intoxication. 1 Ordinarily, if given a choice, the Syrian golden hamster will prefer alcohol to water, but administration of kudzu reversed that preference.
This animal study, along with another one involving rats, 2 led to widespread speculation that kudzu may be useful in the treatment of human alcoholism. However, the results of the two small reported human trials are conflicting. 3 In academic Chinese herbology (as opposed to Chinese folk medicine), kudzu has different applications. One classic herbal formula containing kudzu is used for the treatment of colds accompanied by pain in the neck. However, there is no scientific evidence that it is effective for this condition.
Kudzu contains isoflavones similar to those found in soy . These substances are known to have an estrogen-like effect. On this basis, kudzu has been proposed as a treatment for menopausal symptoms . However, the one published double-blind trial failed to find benefit. 4
References
- Keung WM, Vallee BL. Daidzin and daidzein suppress free-choice ethanol intake by Syrian golden hamsters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 90(21):10008-12.
- Keung WM, Vallee BL. Kudzu root: an ancient Chinese source of modern antidipsotropic agents. Phytochemistry. 47(4):499-506.
- Shebek J, Rindone JP. A pilot study exploring the effect of kudzu root on the drinking habits of patients with chronic alcoholism. J Altern Complement Med. 6(1):45-8.
- Woo J, Lau E, Ho SC, et al. Comparison of Pueraria lobata with hormone replacement therapy in treating the adverse health consequences of menopause. Menopause. 2003;10:352-61.
