Kudzu - Pueraria lobata tincture 1:1 50ml

Kudzu occurrence

Kudzu originated in Japan and China. The plant is a perennial creeping pea plant and the name comes from the Japanese word for vine. The stem is decorated with characteristic trifoliate leaves and purple flowers. The kudzu root itself is large and bulbous.

The plant is described within the Eastern tradition of natural remedies where it has been used for a long time and attributed many interesting properties. Its beneficial properties have been appreciated for centuries, especially in China, Japan and Korea. As early as 200 BC Japanese doctors used this plant in the form of water infusion from powdered kudzu root and dry alcohol extracts. The infusion obtained in this way was supposed to help in various kinds of treatments.

What is Kudzu good for?

As I have already mentioned, kudzu has been used for years in Chinese and Japanese alternative medicine. This is mainly due to the rich composition of this unique plant. Kudzu root is alkaline - it also does not contain lactose and gluten, so it can be used by people suffering from celiac disease or lactose intolerance. Kudzu is a valuable source of many minerals, including phosphorus, calcium and iron. In the 1990s it was discovered that the kudzu root is also characterized by a high content of elements including isoflavonoids. The root has also been used for headaches and by post-menopausal women, which is believed to be due to its isoflavonoid content. The herb also appears in many modern studies where it has been studied for its effect on alcohol intake. You can see interesting results where test subjects reduced their alcohol consumption when taking kudzu extract (1). However, more studies are needed to be able to see a clear connection.

In China and Japan, kudzu root flour is used interchangeably with traditional flour for baking and kudzu leaves are used for salad dressing. Beautiful flowers that develop on vines, after suitable processing, can be used as a sweet jelly - one of the favorite desserts of almost every child. Kudzu is rich in starch, which makes it perfect as a thickener for soup or sauce.

Does Kudzu Have Any Side Effects?

There are no known side effects, but remember to always follow the recommended daily intake just to avoid possible side effects.

References

1. David M Penetar, Lindsay H Toto, David Y-W Lee, Scott E Lukas. 2015. A single dose of kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm.