Declinol, a Complex Containing Kudzu, Bitter Herbs Gentian, Tangerine Peeland Bupleurum, Significantly Reduced Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test AUDIT Scores in Moderate to Heavy Drinkers: A Pilot Study

Kudzu root may help treat some of the most common menopausal complaints, including hot flashes and night sweats. The kudzu plant resembles poison ivy, so it’s important to know how to identify it correctly. Hi Diane, I followed the directions for maximum dosage on the Planetary Herbals Kudzu. It has spread to South Africa, Malaysia, and the western Pacific Islands. 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. Department of Agriculture declared Kudzu vine a weed in 1972. 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.

Researchers selected people who said they regularly consumed three to four drinks per day. Several research groups have noted that adults also may change from nonproducer to producer status after heightened soy consumption, although not all studies concur. Franke et al. found that both post- and premenopausal women may begin to produce equol with increased isoflavone exposure. They are now studying a single large dose before a planned drinking session to see if Sober House it works, too. For a final session, they took whichever pill they didn’t take the first time. They took it for a week, then went to the lab again for a drinking session. However, studies looking at the effects of kudzu extracts have produced mixed findings, Penetar says. Penetar DM, Teter CJ, Ma Z, Tracy M, Lee DY-W, Lukas SE. Pharmacokinetic profile of the isoflavone puerarin after acute and repeated administration of a novel kudzu extract to human volunteers.

Neurobiology of Chinese Herb Medicine

In fact Keung et al. 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. However, this effect by daidzin is not like a classical ALDH-2 inhibitor because it does not also inhibit the cytosolic form, of liver ALDH-1, which is a very efficient catalyst of acetaldehyde oxidation. Thus daidzin can suppress ethanol intake of this species without blocking acetaldehyde metabolism. This is the first demonstration that a single dose of kudzu extract quickly reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm. These data add to the mounting clinical evidence that kudzu extract may be a safe and effective adjunctive pharmacotherapy for alcohol abuse and dependence. Three herbs are used in Chinese medicine to diminish alcohol craving, lessen alcohol absorption through the gut, or reduce symptoms of withdrawal. Kudzu has been used as a treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence in Chinese medicine for almost 2000 years. Animal studies suggest that Kudzu extract significantly reduces alcohol craving . A recent placebo-controlled human study found that individuals who had the opportunity to binge drink significantly reduced their drinking after taking 2gm of a standardized Kudzu extract 2 1/2 hours before starting to drink .

Animal studies suggest that kudzu root could have heart-protective benefits. It may help regulate blood pressure in patients diagnosed with primary hypertension, a risk factor for heart disease. Some evidence suggests kudzu root may help with liver damage, while other preliminary evidence suggests it may cause liver injury in certain cases. Scientists need to do more research on the effects of kudzu root in humans to investigate these effects in the liver. One animal study found that isoorientin, a compound isolated from kudzu root, boosted antioxidant levels and reduced inflammation markers in mice with swollen paws .

Treatment guidelines according to the main patterns of disharmony

None of the subjects had any side effects from mixing kudzu with beer. After the first session, some subjects received capsules of kudzu, others a placebo. Dietary soy isoflavones occur bound to sugars that are not readily absorbed and may be modified extensively in the gastrointestinal tract, although the degree of metabolism and absorption varies considerably among individuals. The isoflavone glucoside conjugates are easily altered during extraction, processing, and cooking. However, the total concentration of isoflavones does not change. Is considered safe, with few side effects other than the potential for an allergic reaction to the plant. Bouchery EE, Harwood HJ, Sacks JJ, Simon CJ, Brewer RD. Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S., 2006.

If asked about herbal treatments for a drinking problem, it is advisable to recommend speaking with a professional rather than self-treatment with over-the-counter supplements. However, Lukas et al. from McLean Hospital designed a study to test the efficacy of a kudzu extract in a clinical population. 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. They found that Kudzu treatment resulted in significant reduction in the number of beers consumed. The kudzu extract diadzein has been isolated as an aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH-2) inhibitor, which has been shown in animal models to reduce excessive drinking. Synthetic versions of this selective ALDH-2 inhibitor are being investigated as potential medications to suppress relapse in abstinent alcoholics. More clinical trials will need to be conducted to better understand the efficacy of kudzu extracts or synthetic variants for treatment of alcohol dependence. One of the ancillary factors in alcohol dependence is blood sugar imbalances.

Kudzu Recovery: Research Studies

On the other hand, supplementing with a kudzu extract significantly reduced the amount of beer consumed by heavy alcohol drinkers in a short-term experiment. In the meantime, a new quality-controlled herbal kudzu extract will probably reach the market sooner, since herbal remedies don’t need approval from the government. The kudzu extract reduced alcohol consumption in people who took it, but its effect on alcohol cravings wasn’t tested. So it’s not clear if this kudzu treatment attacks the roots of alcohol dependence, or just stems the drinking. Moreover, in vitro, daidzin potently suppresses hamster liver mitochondria-catalyzed acetaldehyde oxidation. Additionally, Lin et al. also showed that daidzin, are efficacious in lowering blood alcohol levels and shorten sleep time induced by alcohol ingestion in rat models of alcoholism. Furthermore, other isoflavonoids found in Kudzu were also evaluated by Lin et al. . 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. suggested the anti- craving effects of these compounds may be due to CNS mechanisms.

This compound has a positive effect on the central nervous system and the brain. Heavy drinkers, both male and female, were given either a placebo or kudzu extract for 7 days. They were then given the opportunity to drink the beer of their choice in a naturalistic laboratory setting. Researchers monitored drinking behavior with a digital scale located in the top of an end table. This allowed them to measure the rate of drinking as well as the volume of sips. Lukas SE, Penetar D, Berko J, Vicens L, Palmer C, Mallya G, Macklin EA, Lee DY-W. An extract of the Chinese herbal root kudzu kudzu root alcohol cravings reduces alcohol drinking by heavy drinkers in a naturalistic setting. The ability of puerarin and related isoflavones to facilitate alcohol’s entry into the brain has not been systematically studied. For this mechanism to be plausible, the more rapid penetration of alcohol into the brain would have to trigger a satiety mechanism rather quickly such that the desire for the next drink is delayed—thus interrupting a binge episode. This is precisely what was observed in the present study as kudzu’s effects were evident after a single dose within a few hours of administration.

Antioxidant Treatment and Alcoholism

And rats given the drug weren’t willing to press a lever as many times to try to get a drink — the closest model scientists have to measuring rats’ alcohol cravings. Finally, the role of Disulfiram because of its inhibition of Dopamine –Beta –Hydroxylase thereby increasing brain dopamine has been also proposed for cocaine abuse or possibly other RS behaviors . Currently we do not have a reasonable explanation as to why the subjects on Declinol did not have benefits related to both their inability to handle set- backs and or sleep . We are cognizant that alcohol abuse induces severe effects on brain reward circuitry affecting stress/anxiety as well as reticular formation in the brain. These problems may have to be addressed in future studies and may require additional therapies and neurochemical epigenetic modifications. This is the first ever pilot results showing that the complex Declinol, significantly reduced Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores in moderate to heavy drinkers in a naturalistic setting (Figure 1 and 2; Table 3). While this is a small pilot study requiring additional large scale controlled studies, we are encouraged. To our knowledge the present pilot is the first such a study in the world that has systematically evaluated this novel complex in humans.

On average, the men and women drank 3.5 beers after placebo and 2.4 after puerarin. “When they were treated with puerarin they drank about a beer less than when they were treated with placebo,” he says. Before the second, they took either 1,200 milligrams of puerarin or identical-looking placebo pills for a week. They came to the lab and could drink as much as they wanted, up to six beers. Overstreet DH, Kralic JE, Morrow AL, Ma ZZ, Zhang YW, Lee DY. NPI-031G reduces anxiogenic effects of alcohol withdrawal or benzodiazepine inverse or 5-HT2C agonists. James Lake, M.D., a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, works to transform mental health care through the evidence-based uses of alternative therapies. Mentat™, a proprietary Ayurvedic compound herbal formula, has been found to reverse effects of acute benzodiazepine withdrawal in dependent mice, and may provide similar benefits in humans (Kulkarni 1994; Kulkarni 1992).

Kudzu extract may help control alcohol cravings

This lack of bitter flavor ingestion compromises not only overall health, but may allow for a greater risk of alcohol intake. The bitter compounds contained in Declinol can promote better health overall, while also helping to better ensure that the TAS2R receptors in the human gut are stimulated adequately. Chai hu , one of the most frequently used herbs in Chinese herbal medicine, has positive benefits in cases of liver toxicity especially due to alcoholism , analgesic properties as well as sedative activity . Furthermore, Duffy et al. reported using multiple regression analyses, greater bitterness from 3.2 mMPROP was a significant predictor of greater ethanol intensity and less alcohol intake. Interestingly, genotype was a significant predictor of alcohol intake, but not ethanol intensity. Natural therapies could help reduce cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms. Ashwagandha is sometimes used for alcohol withdrawal and cravings.

Because of this effect, kudzu might also be helpful for people who have quit drinking and want to make sure that a potential slip doesn’t become a full blown relapse. Taking kudzu would decrease the chance that a drink would turn into an endless parade of drinks. Of course, it’s up to the individual to ensure that he or she doesn’t use this as an excuse to fall off the wagon. In terms of what I felt when I took kudzu, my experience supports the observations of others who note that kudzu might act like a much gentler form of disulfiram or Antabuse. These drugs are often prescribed to alcoholics to keep them abstinent. Even a tiny amount of alcohol can cause violent illness while on these drugs. By contrast, kudzu creates a mild flushed feeling at most and leaves the drinker craving alcohol a bit less. Although I’m sure it would have helped me detoxify, I did not use kudzu after I quit drinking. My experience was limited to an experiment that I did years ago to see if taking the herb would reduce my drinking levels. Various herbs and combinations of herbs are reported to be effective in reducing cravings, but in general, no studies have proven their effectiveness.

Conversely, saikosaponins did not affect an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and experimental cirrhosis in rats caused by carbon tetrachloride intoxication . One of the herbals in Declincol, Gentian, is considered the king of the bitter herbs. In tests, it was found that the bitter taste from Gentian can still be perceived even when diluted down to 1 part in 12,000 . Tangerine Peel has some bitter qualities as well, and is an excellent complement to the actions of Gentian.

• Kudzu may also help heavy drinkers cut the amount of alcohol they consume, even if they are not being treated for AUD.
• While it does not completely eliminate drinking, it is clearly effective in significantly reducing intake, which offers individuals an opportunity to engage in more responsible drinking patterns.
• In the second, participants who were treated for 4 weeks with kudzu extract significantly reduced their alcohol consumption during weeks 2 through 4 of the study (Lukas et al., 2013).
• Call us today to find the mental health care that’s right for yourself or your loved one.
• The root of another Asian species of kudzu, Pueraria thomsonii, is also used for herbal products.

Researchers found that the kudzu extract had no effect on alcohol cravings, but it reduced the number of weekly alcoholic drinks by 34–57% . Harvard researchers first discovered the anti-drinking effects of the kudzu extract in 2005. Previous studies had shown that kudzu extracts reduced alcohol drinking in rats and hamsters. In this study, researchers tested the effect of kudzu extract on drinking by humans in a naturalistic setting. A natural product called polyenylphosphatidylcholine may reduce liver damage in chronic alcohol abuse and fatty acid supplementation may reduce the severity of alcohol withdrawal while improving mood and overall cognitive performance. There is also evidence that the herbals ashwagondha, Ginseng, and select other natural products may reduce the severity of withdrawal from opiates, and reduce tolerance to cocaine, methamphetamine, and morphine. An extract of the Chinese herb kudzu dramatically reduces drinking and may be useful in the treatment of alcoholism and curbing binge drinking, according to a new study by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers.

But it did reduce the number of drinks they had each week by a third to a half. In one study, people who binge drink took either kudzu extract or a placebo before a 90-minute session of drinking beer. Check the recommended use for that specific kudzu root supplement. Some species of kudzu root may be more efficient to treat certain issues. Pueraria lobate, for example, is the species normally used to reduce alcohol cravings. While the blood flow theory of kudzu for alcoholism may be true, there is likely more going on here. Kudzu contains several active isoflavones, which are natural plant chemicals with antioxidant effects.