Complementary Medicine
Information about complementary & alternative medical therapies.

Kudzu

Photo copyright Steven Foster

Common name:

• Ge-gen

Botanical Names

Botanical name:

• Pueraria lobata

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.

Health Concerns

Kudzu has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information):

Rating	Health Concerns
	Alcohol withdrawal support Angina
Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

Traditional Use

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

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 widely publicized 1993 animal study showed that both daidzin and daidzein inhibit the desire for alcohol. ³ The authors concluded the root extract may in fact 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

Dosage

How much is usually taken?

The 1985 Chinese Pharmacopoeia suggests 9-15 grams of kudzu root per day. ⁵ 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.

Side Effects

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. 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.

Last Review: 01-15-2004