Botanical name: Pueraria lobata
© Steven Foster
Parts used and where grown
Kudzu is a coarse, high-climbing, twining, trailing, perennial vine. The huge root, which
can grow to the size of a human, is the source of medicinal preparations used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern herbal
products. Kudzu grows in most shaded areas in mountains, fields, along roadsides, thickets,
and thin forests throughout most of China and the southeastern United States. The root of
another Asian species of kudzu, Pueraria thomsonii, is also used for herbal
products.
Kudzu has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Historical or traditional use (may
or may not be supported by scientific studies)
Kudzu root has been known for centuries in
Traditional Chinese Medicine as ge-gen. The first written mention of the plant as a
medicine is in the ancient herbal text of Shen Nong (circa A.D. 100). In Traditional Chinese
Medicine, kudzu root is used in prescriptions for the treatment of wei, or
“superficial,” syndrome (a disease that manifests just under the
surface—mild, but with fever), thirst, headache, and stiff neck with pain due to high blood pressure.1 It is also
recommended for allergies, migraine headaches, and diarrhea. The historical application for drunkenness
has become a major focal point of modern research on kudzu. It is also used in modern Chinese
medicine as a treatment for angina
pectoris.
Active constituents
Kudzu root is high in isoflavones, such as daidzein, as well as isoflavone glycosides, such
as daidzin and puerarin. Depending on its growing conditions, the total isoflavone content
varies from 1.77–12.0%, with puerarin in the highest concentration, followed by daidzin
and daidzein.2
A 1993 animal study showed that both daidzin and daidzein inhibit the desire for
alcohol.3 The authors concluded the root extract may be useful for reducing the
urge for alcohol and as treatment for
alcoholism. However, a small controlled clinical trial with alcoholic adults taking 1.2
grams of kudzu two times per day failed to show any effect on decreasing alcohol consumption
or cravings.4 On the other hand, supplementing with a kudzu extract (1,000 mg three
times a day for seven days) significantly reduced the amount of beer consumed by heavy alcohol
drinkers in a short-term experiment.5
How much is usually taken?
The 1985 Chinese Pharmacopoeia suggests 9–15 grams of kudzu root per
day.6 In China, standardized root extracts (10 mg tablet is equivalent to 1.5 grams
of the crude root) are used to treat angina
pectoris. Some sources recommend 30–120 mg of the extract two to three times per
day.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
At the amounts recommended above, there have been no reports of kudzu toxicity in
humans.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with kudzu.
References:1. Foster S. Kudzu root monograph. Quart Rev Nat Med
1994;Winter:303–8.
2. Zhao SP, Zhang YZ. Quantitative TLC-densitometry of isoflavones in
Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi. Yaoxue Xuebao 1985;20:203–8.
3. Keung WM, Vallee BL. Daidzin and daidzein suppress free-choice ethanol
intake by Syrian Golden hamsters. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1993;90:10008–12.
4. Shebek J, Rindone JP. A pilot study exploring the effect of kudzu root
on the drinking habits of patients with chronic alcoholism. J Altern Compl Med
2000;6:45–8.
5. Lukas SE, Penetar D, Berko J, et al. An extract of the Chinese herbal
root kudzu reduces alcohol drinking by heavy drinkers in a naturalistic setting. Alcohol
Clin Exp Res 2005;29:756–62.
6. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients
Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996,
333–6.