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. The number of participants who drank each available beer during the 1.5 hour drinking session following administration of placebo or kudzu. This is the fourth installment in a series of posts on non-pharmacologic approaches to alcohol and drug abuse. 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.

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. 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, 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. 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.

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Kudzu plant, unlike alcohol medication, produces no effects of its own, does not block the effects of alcohol and does not make people sick if they drink alcohol. This is a study designed to test whether a single administration of kudzu extract will significantly reduce the number of drinks consumed during a single 1 ½ hours drinking session when given as pretreatment 2 ½ hours before the drinking session. The results showed pre-treatment with kudzu extract had little to no effect on the participant’s behavioral, physical or cognitive performance. 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. 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.

Development of a recognized, validated testing method and threshold equol value or equol-to-daidzein ratio will aid future interpretation of evidence. 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.

Antioxidant Treatment and Alcoholism

Kudzu is known to be extremely safe, with very few reported adverse side effects. My problem at the time was a denial of the severity of my drinking problem. 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.

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 kudzu alcohol addiction 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.

“Proven Supplements To Help You Break The Addiction Cycle”

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. 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 were unable to reproduce this effect in humans. Specifically, in a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial they found no difference between Kudzu and placebo after a one month treatment period in either reducing alcohol craving and or promoting sobriety.

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. Valerian extract and a proprietary Ayurvedic formula Sober Home may reduce the severity of benzodiazepine withdrawal; however, melatonin is probably not effective for facilitating discontinuation of benzodiazepines or improving sleep quality following chronic use. There is some evidence that kudzu root dietary supplements may cause liver injury. One study in mice found that taking 10 mg per day of kudzu root extract for 4 weeks caused liver toxicity . 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 .

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. Tangerine Peel delivers several novel flavonoids that all offer numerous health advantages including enhancing metabolism, promoting detoxification, and protecting cells from free radical damage. Most importantly extracts of Tangerine Peel have been shown to enhance learning and memory. Kawahata et al. recently reported on the enhancement properties of Tangerine Peel extracts to facilitate potently- mediated transcription linked to the upstream cAMP/PKA/ERK/CREB pathway in hippocampal neurons.

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. Some health companies sell the kudzu root species Pueraria mirifica as a supplement for menopausal and postmenopausal women. You may be wondering how people use kudzu root and what to know when considering whether to give it a try. The information we provide while responding to comments is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice.

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