Chinese Herbal Extract May Help Reduce Alcohol Consumption Partnership to End Addiction

Chinese Herbal Extract May Help Reduce Alcohol Consumption Partnership to End Addiction

It was introduced into the United States as an ornamental in 1876, as a forage plant in Florida in the 1920s, and was promoted as an erosion control by the U.S. The vine completely engulfs nonwooded areas but it also grows over wooded areas on which it produces large impenetrable masses and completely envelops trees and other plants, killing them all by shutting out all sunlight. Kudzu vine is now widely distributed in the United States, including all the southeast, north to Massachusetts and Illinois, and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Approximately 2,000,000 acres of forest land are covered by Kudzu vine. Kudzu vine, Pueraria montana, is a dicot leguminous deciduous woody vine that produces tuberous roots and dark brown rope-like stems that climb up to 20 meters (65 feet) high (Fig. 13-10).

It has been demonstrated however, that bitter receptors exist throughout the entire gastro-intestinal tract [17,18]. When triggered by bitter compounds, these receptors then stimulate a myriad of bodily functions [19-21]. In addition to digestion, these receptors promote absorption of nutrients, blood sugar homeostasis, and can even help with weight control. Moreover, specific bitter receptors seem to promote the elimination of absorbed toxins from the gut [22-24]. Sign up now for a weekly digest of the top drug and alcohol news that impacts your work, life and community.

Alcohol use disorder

The number of participants who drank each available beer during the 1.5 hour drinking session following administration of placebo or kudzu. It may seem counterintuitive that kudzu plant can work both as a hangover cure and to curb the desire to drink, but the same elements that help ease the physical consequences may push the body to feel alcohol’s effects sooner. They propose that the suppression of alcohol reinforcement produced by kudzu plant compounds is mediated centrally in the brain reward pathway. Home remedies and alternative therapies are sometimes used to stop drinking alcohol naturally. Used alongside recommended medical treatments, these remedies can include herbs like kudzu and ashwagandha, lifestyle changes to reduce stress, and online counseling and support groups. While the literature seems to support an effect of Kudzu and especially isoflavonoid constituents to suppress ethanol intake in animal models, in contrast, Shebek and Rindone [9,10] were unable to reproduce this effect in humans.

Isoflavones are considered to be phytoestrogens and are distributed mostly in legume-based dietary supplements. Soybeans, red clover, and kudzu are the main sources of isoflavones, which differ from flavones in regard to the position of the B-ring. In flavones, the B-ring is in the 2-position, but in isoflavone it is in the 3-position (Fig. 24.6).

Potential benefits of kudzu root

Furthermore, other isoflavonoids found in Kudzu were also evaluated by Lin et al. [4]. When given orally to P rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day, daidzein, daidzin, and puerarin decreased ethanol intake by 75%, 50%, and 40%, respectively without negative effects on overall water consumption. In fact Lin et al. [4] suggested the anti- craving effects of these compounds may be due to CNS mechanisms. In fact Keung et al. [5] demonstrated a direct correlation between ALDH-2 inhibition and ethanol intake suppression and raise the possibility that daidzin may in fact suppress ethanol intake of golden hamsters by inhibiting ALDH-2.

• Subjects were given an 8 week supply of the compound with instructions and dosing logs.
• Specifically, male and female “heavy” alcohol drinkers were treated with either placebo or a kudzu extract for 7 days and then given an opportunity to drink their preferred brand of beer while in a naturalistic environment.
• Numerous studies showed genistein as a strong gene-specific DNA demethylating agent in various cancers.
• All subjects reviewed a full protocol of the study and signed informed consent forms prior to beginning.

Policosanol may interact with blood thinners and increase the risk of bleeding. Finding a quality product may be a challenge, since the Food and Drug Administration does not monitor dietary supplements. Declinol is blended formula developed by one of us (SK) consisting https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of a number of key ingredients such as Kudzu, Bitter Herbs (Gentian, Tangerine Peel) and Bupleurum and other herbals (Table 1). The primary indication of this complex and the pilot study described in this article involve Declinol’s effect in alcoholism.

Neurobiology of Chinese Herb Medicine

The body’s own process in this regard creates micelles, single layer or unilamellar spheres in the size range of approximately 100 nanometers that typically can transport single nutrients. However due to dietary and physiological inefficiency, this process can often be hampered. The technology utilized with Declinol creates multi-layer or multi-lamellar spheres that are readily available and can transport multiple nutrients simultaneously.

• This is the first demonstration that a single dose of kudzu extract quickly reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm.
• Subjects were all Caucasian, lower to middle income, residing in a small Midwestern town.
• Over the past three decades, isoflavones have been the subject of active investigation due to their roles in the prevention of chronic diseases, including several types of cancers [31,32].
• Home remedies and complementary therapies are often used to help people quit drinking.

Such remedies won’t work for everyone and take several months to produce results. Declinol utilizes a proprietary and patent-pending encapsulation technology that enhances the absorption and bio-availability of its herbal compounds. The active ingredients are all encapsulated, or enveloped, kudzu extract for alcoholism using specific processing techniques, within phosphatidyl choline based spheres that act as transport vehicles. The process mimics natural actions that take place within the gut to enable proper absorption of nutrients, especially phyto-nutrients and fat soluble vitamins.

If you use kudzu to treat alcoholism, prior to a drinking, take 1.5-3 grams of kudzu root extract three times daily. Another study suggests that kudzu extract can reduce intake during binge drinking. Those who used kudzu in one study drank fewer beers at slower rates than those who did not (x).

When taking kudzu, you may experience side effects such as itchiness/skin irritation, dizziness or upset stomach. Kudzu is hepatotoxic, meaning excessive amounts could harm your liver, so it’s important to stick to the recommended daily dosage (x). As a dietary supplement, take 1200 mg (heavy 1/3 tsp) once or twice daily, or as directed by a physician. While it’s a natural physiological process, menopause causes a host of adverse side effects. It’s not exactly known why women experience hot flashes during menopause, but it’s widely believed that the decrease in estrogen production is to blame. All fruits and plants contain a plethora of different phytonutrients.