Natural Treatments of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Withdrawal

Most of the subjects came from church programs for alcohol dependence and were recruited via general assembly announcement and written flyer. Nine of the ten participants had previously tried other programs to eliminate alcohol cravings and intake with little or no success. The study was done in an at-home basis to allow for better compliance and prove if this program could be successful without daily intervention in a natural setting . Each subject had full time access to the study coordinator and had weekly contact with the coordinator during the full 8 week term.

These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Here are our best tips to find the perf kudzu root supplement. It’s marketed as a treatment for alcoholism, diabetes, and inflammation.

Does Vitamin B Regenerate the Liver?

Here is a list of 4 natural supplements that are just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs. The kudzu root may interact with certain medications or pose other health risks for certain people. Therefore, it’s always best to consult your healthcare provider before taking it. Scientists need to do more research on the safe and effective dosages of kudzu root for various uses. Furthermore, it’s likely that the suggested doses for kudzu root will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of supplement you may be considering. There isn’t much scientific evidence available on the dosing for kudzu root as a supplement. For this reason, it’s difficult to make recommendations for various uses. While kudzu root may offer a few specific benefits, there are also some potential downsides to consider.

The information presented by TraceGains is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies , clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. The resultant call for adopting a zero tolerance policy for alcohol-impaired driving3 has necessitated seeking kudzu root for alcohol cravings effective treatment strategies for patients with alcoholism. One component of such a strategy would be the development of a drug to decrease ethanol craving. Kudzu, administered as the root extract, may play an important role in this regard. Compared to weeks in which the participants took no pill or a placebo, individuals with kudzu in their system consumed almost half as much alcohol—and showed no side effects or awareness of the drug. “The fact that participants experienced a rapid rise in blood alcohol levels when pre-treated with kudzu has no apparent explanation and therefore requires additional research,” said Penetar.

May reduce alcohol dependence

Kudzu did what it was supposed to do – it curbed my drinking noticeably. But as soon as the capsules ran out, I concluded that it hadn’t totally “cured” my problem and that I would eventually find something better. 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. In daidzin , the link between daidzein and glucose is a COC bond, whereas in puerarin , it is a CC bond. Isoflavones are structurally similar to 17β-estradiol and have been the subject of intense research regarding their effects on human health as agonists of the ERβ receptor.

• Conversely, saikosaponins did not affect an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and experimental cirrhosis in rats caused by carbon tetrachloride intoxication .
• According to traditional Chinese medicine, kudzu has cooling properties that balance the heat and false energy created by alcohol.
• Changes in the chemistry of 6″-malonyl-7′-β-glucosyldaidzein, a major soybean component, during food processing.

Taking medicines with meals, on an empty stomach, or with alcohol may influence their effects. For details, refer to the manufacturers’ package information as these are not covered in this table. If you take medications, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a supplement with your doctor or pharmacist. Kudzu is believed to have its origins in China, where its tuberous root, known as Ge-gen, has been considered a valuable part of the traditional medicine for two millennia. Two classic traditional Chinese medical texts, The Internal Book of Huang Di and Shang Han Lun, reference the use of tea made from kudzu root for stiffness, neck and eye pain, and fevers as far back as 200 BC. While kudzu extract won’t magically turn alcoholics into nondrinkers, it might help others cut back on booze.

In addition to her work at the exclusive Executive Health clinic in Marbella, Spain, she helps to keep Fit Recovery up to date with emerging research. If you have any questions about using kudzu recovery for alcoholism, please leave them in the comment box below. Because my drinking levels were so stupendously high in the first place, kudzu did not turn me into a moderate drinker by any stretch of the imagination. As expected, I didn’t really feel anything after taking kudzu until I began drinking. I recall feeling a very slight prickly feeling in my skin after I’d had a few drinks, and a mild head rush. I did not feel more drunk than usual, but I definitely drank less. Overall, my drinking during that month declined by around 30-40%. Thus, I’m going to make sure I cover all of these topics and more so you become very knowledgeable about how kudzu works for helping people get better from alcoholism.

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. While we only selected a small number of patients to study in this pilot because we wanted to capture a positive effect prior to a much larger study being planned in the future, we are encouraged with these preliminary results.

“The most urgent need is helping people who cannot help themselves, who need a drug to help them stop drinking,” Keung said. Lukas’ study was inspired by Dr. Wing Ming Keung, a pathology professor at Harvard Medical School who has studied kudzu’s potential medical applications. 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. In a study comparing cytisine to nicotine replacement, 40% quit on cytisine compared to 31% on nicotine replacement.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded the study. One study co-author is a member of the scientific advisory board at Natural Pharmacia International. The lab-turned-apartment had a reclining chair, TV, DVD player, and a refrigerator stocked with each person’s favorite beer. Shen XL, Witt MR, Nielsen M, Sterner O. Inhibition of flunitrazepam binding to rat brain membranes in vitro by puerearin and daidzein.
Subjects were all Caucasian, lower to middle income, residing in a small Midwestern town. Each subject was interviewed in person and determined to be actively drinking on a regular basis, all exceeding what would be considered normal consumption ranging from 1-2 times per week to drinking on a daily basis. Several of the subjects had been drinking for many years and often drank to or past the point of inebriation. Final inclusion of subjects was based on completing the AUDIT questionnaire that demonstrated either hazardous levels of drinking or alcohol dependence. All subjects reviewed a full protocol of the study and signed informed consent forms prior to beginning. Subjects were given an 8 week supply of the compound with instructions and dosing logs. They were asked to follow all instructions noting changes on a bi-weekly basis. After completion of the program each subject re-took the AUD questionnaire and also filled out an exit interview. The Declinol Compound for the study was manufactured according to cGMP guidelines and was processed at an FDA registered, OTC, Rx facility. Moreover, in vitro, daidzin potently suppresses hamster liver mitochondria-catalyzed acetaldehyde oxidation.

Can We Predict Compulsive Drinking?

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. 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.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the first-line treatments for insomnia, but it’s never been … Recently, unique discoveries have been made pertaining to the actions of bitters, and a family of 30 specific bitter flavor receptors in the GI Tract. Known as TAS2R’s, these receptors are located throughout the gut and are set to detect a variety of differing bitter profiles. Throughout the gut and endocrine system, digestive secretions are promoted in the stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, liver, and small and large intestine.

The last study above was designed to test the hypothesis that kudzu accelerates the subjective experience of alcohol intoxication. If this were the primary effect of kudzu increasing blood flow, then subjects should feel more intoxicated with fewer drinks after taking kudzu. Kudzu can be purchased with ease online and it won’t break the bank. However, there are a lot of supplements that claim Sober House to contain kudzu that are mostly cheap fillers. Kudzu is known to be extremely safe, with very few reported adverse side effects. 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.

Previous posts reviewed the evidence for weak electrical current for reducing symptoms of opioid and alcohol withdrawal. This post is offered as a concise review of promising herbal and other natural product treatments of alcohol craving and withdrawal, narcotic withdrawal, and benzodiazepine withdrawal. A recent study by Harvard-affiliated researchers revealed that kudzu—an herb found to reduce alcohol consumption—does not work by increasing the intoxicating effects of alcohol so that individuals get drunk faster. Check the recommended use for that specific kudzu root supplement.

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. Harvard researchers first discovered the anti-drinking effects of the kudzu extract in 2005.

Additional details and photos of the device can be found in Lukas et al. . Salvia miltiorrhiza is a widely used herb in Chinese medicine that may reduce the absorption of alcohol through the stomach. Miltiorrhiza reduces alcohol-seeking behavior in rats genetically engineered to prefer alcohol. Blood alcohol levels were reduced by 60% in rats that had been pre-treated with S. Traditional Chinese medicine, animal research, and some preliminary studies have found extracts of this herb may help reduce alcohol cravings, though some studies have not shown benefit.