Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement made from the Withania somnifera plant. For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings.

• The upregulation of tumor suppressors p21, p16, and BTG3 was linked with H3K4 hypermethylation in cancer cells [133,137].
• Known as TAS2R’s, these receptors are located throughout the gut and are set to detect a variety of differing bitter profiles.
• The alcohol-targeted acupuncture cut down on cravings and withdrawal symptoms better than the sham treatment.
• Previous studies had shown that kudzu extracts reduced alcohol drinking in rats and hamsters.
• Declinol utilizes a proprietary and patent-pending encapsulation technology that enhances the absorption and bio-availability of its herbal compounds.
• If you’re not sure whether kudzu root is right for you, talk with your doctor.

There’s not a recommended dosage for kudzu root, but there have been human studies that can help guide you. 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. For over 2,000 years, people have used kudzu root in traditional Chinese medicine for purposes like treating fevers, diarrhea, and even diabetes and heart disease (1).

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) interacts with KUDZU

The first written mention of the plant as a medicine is in the ancient herbal text of Shen Nong (circa A.D. 100). 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. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An extract of the kudzu vine being developed to treat kudzu extract for alcoholism alcoholism may also help treat cocaine addiction, researchers at Gilead Sciences Inc reported on Sunday. Furthermore, the men who took kudzu had fewer heavy drinking days per week and had significantly more consecutive days with no alcohol consumption (2). Lukas was not certain why but speculated that kudzu increases blood alcohol levels and speeds up its effects.

It’s important to always consult with a physician or healthcare professional before taking any supplements, natural or not. The BBC conducted a similar study using kudzu root extract instead of pure puerarin. Those who took kudzu beforehand drank 20 percent less than those who didn’t (x). Kudzu root is available in lots of forms including capsules, liquid extracts, and powder.

1 Participants

You should never replace medical treatments or counseling with alternative remedies for AUD. However, for moderate drinkers, home remedies like meditation, exercise, and herbs may help with the transition to alcohol-free living. Standardized root tablets (10 mg tablet is equivalent to 1.5 grams of the crude root) are sometimes used for angina pectoris in the amount of 30 to 120 mg per day. A major limitation to this pilot is the small number of subjects evaluated and as such we caution any definitive interpretation of these interesting results. However, this pilot serves as the basis to further these studies and confirmation in a much larger cohort may have important treatment ramifications for not only alcoholism but possibly RDS behaviors as well.

Some research shows that milk thistle may help those looking to treat alcohol-related liver disease. It’s important to note that more studies are needed to confirm that the herb enhances liver health. In studies with alcohol-addicted mice, ashwagandha seemed to relieve anxiety.

May alleviate menopausal symptoms

Scientists need to do more human studies to determine its effectiveness in other areas, like inflammation, heart health, and headaches. Another study found that people who took puerarin, an isoflavone https://ecosoberhouse.com/addiction-rehabilitation-center/ extract from the kudzu plant, prior to drinking took longer to consume alcoholic beverages (3). The researchers observed 12 men and women in a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

They have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support your immune system and treat diseases caused by inflammation and oxidation. These include cancer, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and cardiovascular disease (x) (x). Sign up now for a weekly digest of the top drug and alcohol news that impacts your work, life and community. “We propose that a safe, selective, reversible ALDH-2 inhibitor such as ALDH2i may have the potential to attenuate human cocaine addiction and prevent relapse,” the researchers wrote. They found how it works — by raising levels of a compound called tetrahydropapaveroline or THP. Cocaine cravings make levels of a brain chemical called dopamine soar and THP interferes with this.

However, the researchers did note that treatment with kudzu caused an increase in heart rate, skin temperature and blood ethanol levels in the participants. Based on this, the researchers hypothesized that an increase in blood ethanol levels could translate into increased effects from the first alcoholic drink and delay an individual’s desire for subsequent drinks. The participants reported their desire for and consumption of alcohol for the duration of the study. Researchers found that the kudzu extract had no effect on alcohol cravings, but it reduced the number of weekly alcoholic drinks by 34–57% (2). One small study looked at the effects of kudzu in 17 men ages 21–33 who reported drinking approximately 22–35 drinks per week. The researchers gave participants either kudzu extract or a placebo every day for 4 weeks (2).

Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology states that kudzu’s traditional functions date back to Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing , originally compiled in the second century. Today, researchers are exploring this Chinese herb’s use in Detoxification therapy and to reduce alcohol consumption abuse. A standardized formulation of kudzu extract produced minimal side effects, was well-tolerated, and resulted in a modest reduction in alcohol consumption in young nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers. Additional studies using treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent persons will be necessary to determine the usefulness of this herbal preparation in reducing alcohol use in other populations.