Kudzu cuts alcohol consumption
The weed that whacks binge drinking
By William J. Cromie
Harvard News Office
The vine that ate the South has a sobering effect on binge drinkers.
Researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., suspected that excessive drinking might be curbed by giving drinkers an extract of kudzu, a pesky, rapidly growing weed common in the Southern states. They knew it has been used for that purpose in China since 600 A.D. More recently, other researchers at Harvard University tested it on golden hamsters, bred and born to drink alcohol, and found that it reduced the rodents' intake.
"These results prompted us to test an herbal extract of it on humans," notes Scott Lukas, professor of psychiatry at McLean, a psychiatric hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School. He and his colleagues recruited 14 men and women, average age 24 years. The "laboratory" was an apartment where each person was allowed to drink as many beers as he or she wanted, up to a maximum of six. After determining how much each person drinks normally, half were given a capsule of kudzu or an inactive pill or placebo.
After a so-called "washout" period, treatments were reversed. Those who had gotten the kudzu received a placebo and vice versa. Researchers who evaluated their drinking behavior did not know who received what or when.
The results were dramatic. "Those who took kudzu drank significantly less than those on placebo," says Lukas. "Everyone took that first drink when they came to the apartment after work. But the kudzu group was slower and less likely to reach for the second or third beer. They downed an average of one or two beers while the placebo group finished three or four. Alcohol consumption was almost cut in half."
Beyond that, those on kudzu drank more slowly. "They needed more gulps to finish each beer," Lukas continues. "That tells us they are responding to cues from their brains telling them they don't need to drink so much."
So in the first study of its kind, the much-maligned vine shows great potential for reducing bingeing, defined as putting down five or more drinks in one sitting for a man, or four or more consecutive drinks for a woman. Bingeing is a huge problem on most college campuses. A Harvard School of Public Health survey recently found that one-third to one-half of these students admit to binge drinking, thus contributing to alcohol being the third leading cause of death and disability in the United States.
Fewer hangovers
Another plus for kudzu is a lack of side effects. "We gave our subjects a low dose for one week," Lukas explains. "Then we gave them blood and urine tests and physical exams. No changes were found. It's a wonderful result. If we raised the dose and gave it for a longer period, alcohol consumption might be decreased even more. We expect to look into this possibility."
If people drink less, hangovers should be reduced in number and severity. "That's possible," Lukas agrees. "Drinking half the number of beers or drinks, say three or four instead of six or eight, should have a lesser effect the next day." But, he points out, there are no studies to demonstrate that kudzu would act like a morning-after pill for eliminating hangovers.
Does this mean that students and others who wish to reduce drinking and its miserable aftermath can medicate themselves safely with the widely available herb? No, Lukas' group tried that and it didn't work.
"We bought a variety of kudzu extracts from stores and Internet sites, tested them, and found that none of them worked, he says. "David Lee, a chemist on our research team did assays that showed these products contained less than 1 percent of active kudzu."
Lukas' group increased the concentration to 30-40 percent, and instructed their drinkers to take two of the pills three times a day. Commercial sellers of kudzu advise people to take many more doses a day. "These products also contain lots of protein and starch," Lukas notes. "They are as filling as a meal and so reduce your desire to drink as much alcohol as you might do normally."
How it works
The fast-growing plant was first brought to the United States from Japan in the 1920s as a way to hold down soil erosion. No one realized that kudzu would lack the kind of natural enemies that keep it in check in Asia - insects and climate. Its quickness to overgrow everything that doesn't move led people to call it "the vine that ate the South."
But how can an extract of it work to increase sobriety? The short answer is that no one knows. The McLean study was not designed to answer that question. The long answer is a theory that the herb can make alcohol go to your head faster.
In China, high concentrations of one of Kudzu's active ingredients (puerarin) are used medically to increase blood flow to the brain and heart, particularly in emergencies. "Wherever blood goes, alcohol goes," Lukas explains. "We think that this triggers a quicker response. The brain says 'enough' in less time. People feel satisfied on fewer beers.
"Kudzu is not going to take someone who drinks 30 beers a week and turn him or her into a teetotaler, but you might go from 30 to 15 a week. It's not a panacea or a magic bullet, but it looks like it could be a tool for people to reduce their drinking."
Oh and of course here's the info from RJ:
Yes, the kudzu issue has been a confusing one. Let me provide some history:
By the time I developed this program (intended only for me), I had done significant research on kudzu. I had been following the animal studies here in the US and informal human trials in the UK. I had read dozens of articles about Traditional Chinese Medicine's application of kudzu as a 'drunkenness dispeller.' I was convinced this important herb would be a critical nutritional component of the therapy. But when it came time to select a product I faced similar confusion when comparing brands, dosages, etc.
To be honest, I used two different dosages of kudzu as I experimented with this program--they ranged from 450 mg. per day of kudzu extract as recommended in the book to a higher dosage of 1,500 mg. per day using a blended formula. Frankly, they both seemed to work equally well in reducing my cravings. However, it was difficult to isolate because I had started taking the All One with its amino acids, as well as the other supplements; had begun the hypnotherapy, exercise, medication, etc.
When I wrote the book I felt compelled to err on the side of safety and I worked with a highly regarded and published nutritionist who also believed it was prudent to recommend the lower 450 mg. dose. Believe it or not, this was one of the most difficult decisions I made before going to press. Many people consider all herbs "safe" because they are natural. Clearly, that isn't always the case and I felt a tremendous responsibility when recommending the program to so many other people.
Shortly after my book was published, a groundbreaking human study demonstrated kudzu's powerful ability to reduce cravings for alcohol. An Associated Press article with a brief overview is here and more detailed information can be found in our research area.
Try kudzu to help fight binge drinking - Addictions - MSNBC.com
In the double blind study, participants given kudzu took two 500-mg. capsules three times daily over a one week period. Those on kudzu drank half as much as the placebo group and reported feeling more satisfied with fewer drinks.
Given such compelling results, I felt it was appropriate to increase the recommendations for kudzu, particularly as we learned that many individuals in the MWO program wanted to opt out of taking any medication. In addition, the study reported no adverse side effects or changes to blood chemistry, liver function and urinalysis--both during the trial and four weeks later. The health care advisers and herbalists with whom I worked agreed the increase in dosage was appropriate.
For that reason, we have since increased our recommendations for short term use of kudzu to 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day but urge individuals to assess their specific health status. Information here outlines special considerations for diabetics, women with hormone-dependent conditions, men with prostate cancer, or anyone with a heart condition.
www.drugdigest.org/DD/Pri...62,00.html
So, how much kudzu to take? Again, it depends on your situation. You may wish to start with a higher dose when you begin the program and reduce the amount after the initial six week period. Our new product, Kudzu Rescue (which matches the same compound levels of puerarin, dadizin and daidzein as the clinical trial) will be available in 300 mg. capsules and we recommend taking one to three capsules three times per day. The highest dose approximates those levels used in the clinical trial. Lower doses (or no dose) may be more prudent for others.
We'll be unveiling our new website soon at www.mywayout.org and it will contain a navigation link with all program updates and recommendations. This includes information about L-Glutamine and other amino acids. We feel this will be really useful until we're able to tackle a new book release.
As always, talk with your health care provider before starting this program or taking any new medications and herbal products.
***
mwojewell
The weed that whacks binge drinking
By William J. Cromie
Harvard News Office
The vine that ate the South has a sobering effect on binge drinkers.
Researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., suspected that excessive drinking might be curbed by giving drinkers an extract of kudzu, a pesky, rapidly growing weed common in the Southern states. They knew it has been used for that purpose in China since 600 A.D. More recently, other researchers at Harvard University tested it on golden hamsters, bred and born to drink alcohol, and found that it reduced the rodents' intake.
"These results prompted us to test an herbal extract of it on humans," notes Scott Lukas, professor of psychiatry at McLean, a psychiatric hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School. He and his colleagues recruited 14 men and women, average age 24 years. The "laboratory" was an apartment where each person was allowed to drink as many beers as he or she wanted, up to a maximum of six. After determining how much each person drinks normally, half were given a capsule of kudzu or an inactive pill or placebo.
After a so-called "washout" period, treatments were reversed. Those who had gotten the kudzu received a placebo and vice versa. Researchers who evaluated their drinking behavior did not know who received what or when.
The results were dramatic. "Those who took kudzu drank significantly less than those on placebo," says Lukas. "Everyone took that first drink when they came to the apartment after work. But the kudzu group was slower and less likely to reach for the second or third beer. They downed an average of one or two beers while the placebo group finished three or four. Alcohol consumption was almost cut in half."
Beyond that, those on kudzu drank more slowly. "They needed more gulps to finish each beer," Lukas continues. "That tells us they are responding to cues from their brains telling them they don't need to drink so much."
So in the first study of its kind, the much-maligned vine shows great potential for reducing bingeing, defined as putting down five or more drinks in one sitting for a man, or four or more consecutive drinks for a woman. Bingeing is a huge problem on most college campuses. A Harvard School of Public Health survey recently found that one-third to one-half of these students admit to binge drinking, thus contributing to alcohol being the third leading cause of death and disability in the United States.
Fewer hangovers
Another plus for kudzu is a lack of side effects. "We gave our subjects a low dose for one week," Lukas explains. "Then we gave them blood and urine tests and physical exams. No changes were found. It's a wonderful result. If we raised the dose and gave it for a longer period, alcohol consumption might be decreased even more. We expect to look into this possibility."
If people drink less, hangovers should be reduced in number and severity. "That's possible," Lukas agrees. "Drinking half the number of beers or drinks, say three or four instead of six or eight, should have a lesser effect the next day." But, he points out, there are no studies to demonstrate that kudzu would act like a morning-after pill for eliminating hangovers.
Does this mean that students and others who wish to reduce drinking and its miserable aftermath can medicate themselves safely with the widely available herb? No, Lukas' group tried that and it didn't work.
"We bought a variety of kudzu extracts from stores and Internet sites, tested them, and found that none of them worked, he says. "David Lee, a chemist on our research team did assays that showed these products contained less than 1 percent of active kudzu."
Lukas' group increased the concentration to 30-40 percent, and instructed their drinkers to take two of the pills three times a day. Commercial sellers of kudzu advise people to take many more doses a day. "These products also contain lots of protein and starch," Lukas notes. "They are as filling as a meal and so reduce your desire to drink as much alcohol as you might do normally."
How it works
The fast-growing plant was first brought to the United States from Japan in the 1920s as a way to hold down soil erosion. No one realized that kudzu would lack the kind of natural enemies that keep it in check in Asia - insects and climate. Its quickness to overgrow everything that doesn't move led people to call it "the vine that ate the South."
But how can an extract of it work to increase sobriety? The short answer is that no one knows. The McLean study was not designed to answer that question. The long answer is a theory that the herb can make alcohol go to your head faster.
In China, high concentrations of one of Kudzu's active ingredients (puerarin) are used medically to increase blood flow to the brain and heart, particularly in emergencies. "Wherever blood goes, alcohol goes," Lukas explains. "We think that this triggers a quicker response. The brain says 'enough' in less time. People feel satisfied on fewer beers.
"Kudzu is not going to take someone who drinks 30 beers a week and turn him or her into a teetotaler, but you might go from 30 to 15 a week. It's not a panacea or a magic bullet, but it looks like it could be a tool for people to reduce their drinking."
Oh and of course here's the info from RJ:
Yes, the kudzu issue has been a confusing one. Let me provide some history:
By the time I developed this program (intended only for me), I had done significant research on kudzu. I had been following the animal studies here in the US and informal human trials in the UK. I had read dozens of articles about Traditional Chinese Medicine's application of kudzu as a 'drunkenness dispeller.' I was convinced this important herb would be a critical nutritional component of the therapy. But when it came time to select a product I faced similar confusion when comparing brands, dosages, etc.
To be honest, I used two different dosages of kudzu as I experimented with this program--they ranged from 450 mg. per day of kudzu extract as recommended in the book to a higher dosage of 1,500 mg. per day using a blended formula. Frankly, they both seemed to work equally well in reducing my cravings. However, it was difficult to isolate because I had started taking the All One with its amino acids, as well as the other supplements; had begun the hypnotherapy, exercise, medication, etc.
When I wrote the book I felt compelled to err on the side of safety and I worked with a highly regarded and published nutritionist who also believed it was prudent to recommend the lower 450 mg. dose. Believe it or not, this was one of the most difficult decisions I made before going to press. Many people consider all herbs "safe" because they are natural. Clearly, that isn't always the case and I felt a tremendous responsibility when recommending the program to so many other people.
Shortly after my book was published, a groundbreaking human study demonstrated kudzu's powerful ability to reduce cravings for alcohol. An Associated Press article with a brief overview is here and more detailed information can be found in our research area.
Try kudzu to help fight binge drinking - Addictions - MSNBC.com
In the double blind study, participants given kudzu took two 500-mg. capsules three times daily over a one week period. Those on kudzu drank half as much as the placebo group and reported feeling more satisfied with fewer drinks.
Given such compelling results, I felt it was appropriate to increase the recommendations for kudzu, particularly as we learned that many individuals in the MWO program wanted to opt out of taking any medication. In addition, the study reported no adverse side effects or changes to blood chemistry, liver function and urinalysis--both during the trial and four weeks later. The health care advisers and herbalists with whom I worked agreed the increase in dosage was appropriate.
For that reason, we have since increased our recommendations for short term use of kudzu to 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day but urge individuals to assess their specific health status. Information here outlines special considerations for diabetics, women with hormone-dependent conditions, men with prostate cancer, or anyone with a heart condition.
www.drugdigest.org/DD/Pri...62,00.html
So, how much kudzu to take? Again, it depends on your situation. You may wish to start with a higher dose when you begin the program and reduce the amount after the initial six week period. Our new product, Kudzu Rescue (which matches the same compound levels of puerarin, dadizin and daidzein as the clinical trial) will be available in 300 mg. capsules and we recommend taking one to three capsules three times per day. The highest dose approximates those levels used in the clinical trial. Lower doses (or no dose) may be more prudent for others.
We'll be unveiling our new website soon at www.mywayout.org and it will contain a navigation link with all program updates and recommendations. This includes information about L-Glutamine and other amino acids. We feel this will be really useful until we're able to tackle a new book release.
As always, talk with your health care provider before starting this program or taking any new medications and herbal products.
***
mwojewell
) Nancy
Comment