Did You Know That Kudzu is Good For Alcohol Addiction?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
Addiction to alcohol is a disorder that entails on the alcohol dependent serious health issues, both physical and mental, in addition to social ramifications. Alcoholism is now tied to substance abuse in that it has almost always been associated with the harmful use of drugs in medical definitions. In fact, the term alcoholism first came into use to enumerate the negative effects of alcohol on health. There has been increased social concern in connection with alcoholism in the past few years, inspiring the developments of group work technologies that aim to attain sobriety among alcohol dependents worldwide, take for example Alcoholics Anonymous. With that, the recent discovery of Kudzu as an agent in fighting off alcohol cravings at the molecular level promises to bring sobering effects.

Popular Uses of Kudzu

Kudzu has in fact been reputed as a traditional remedy against alcohol consumptions in the East, where it is dubbed one of the most fundamental among all herbs. Every part of the plant has different roles in Japanese culinary practices. The leaves are a prized ingredient as they add flavor to sautéed vegetable dishes and pressed salads. Powdery extracts of the root are either used to coat deep-fried tempuras or added to local desserts and fruit preserves as well as being served in the winter season as a popular sweet beverage known as kuzuyu tea. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) widely practiced by physicians in Asia nowadays, it is believed to be the active ingredient in powdered medicines touted as hangover busters with an added emphasis on its role in remedying alcohol cravings.

Medicinal Properties

There are chemical compounds called polyphenols noted for their activities against cancer that are found in high concentrations in kudzu. Isoflavones are naturally occurring polyphenols, making Kudzu an ideal source of antioxidants. In a chemical process called oxidation-reduction there are by-products called reactive oxygen species that aid in metabolic processes in the body. Some reactive oxygen species, however, are deployed in large numbers, rendering the body unable to detoxify them in time. These species called free radicals alters highly reactive non-radical molecules into harmful radicals, and propagates a chain reaction at the cellular level, usually targeting lipids that protect the cells and damaging the cells in the process. Antioxidants like isoflavones keep this process from continuing.

Kudzu and Alcohol

Apart from its significant role in anti-cancer researches today, Kudzu is also the subject of a recent study conducted by Harvard Medical School. The study has yielded preliminary results that back up the centuries-old medicinal practice of the Chinese in curbing excessive consumptions of alcohol. After getting desirable outcomes with in vivo trials involving golden hamster, the researchers distributed kudzu extracts to human beings. The results were overwhelming. Participants of the study who took kudzu had their alcohol consumption was significantly reduced in that their attitude toward binge drinking had changed, convincing researchers that a certain substance in kudzu controls the brain’s mechanisms in connection with alcohol intake.

Look for kudzu in capsule or tablet forms at your local or internet vitamin store. Always choose name brands like Planetary formulas and Solaray to ensure quality, purity, and authenticity of the product you purchase for personal use.