| Kudzu is Chinese herb that has been identified for the | | | | 2004, Naltrexone (Revia) and Antabuse work in three |
| treatment of alcoholism. Anybody who has even had | | | | different ways. Campral is useful only once you have |
| an addiction will tell you that addiction recovery is one | | | | stopped drinking and have detoxed, Naltrexone |
| of the most difficult of the tasks that life throws at us. | | | | interferes with the pathway in the brain that 'rewards' |
| Whether it is an addiction to tobacco or to heroin or | | | | the drinker and Antabuse gives unpleasant side |
| anything in between is not easy, and those that join the | | | | effects that are meant to put the drinker off drinking. |
| 'self-afflicted' lobby do not help, but for the Grace of | | | | Although all have side effects of one type or another, |
| God... | | | | they have been approved by the FDA, and must |
| Alcohol addiction is now potentially the most prevalent | | | | therefore be assumed safe if used as recommended. |
| addiction in the world. There are now more that drink | | | | However, none are natural, and kudzu has been found |
| alcohol than smoke, and alcohol related problems are | | | | to have no known side effects. It is a type of pea, and |
| more than just a social problem, but cause the deaths | | | | did you know that it grows about one foot a day? |
| of over 100,000 annually in the USA. One shudders at | | | | Luckily it only grows to about 20 feet! |
| the thought of the world-wide death toll. It has been | | | | It is kudzu's lack of side effects that renders it so |
| suggested that chemical addictions, as opposed to | | | | attractive as a treatment for alcoholism, although more |
| physical habits, can have chemical cures. Although the | | | | tests are needed before the evidence for its |
| jury is still out on this one, there have been some | | | | effectiveness can be declared cast iron. Most of the |
| positive results achieved in the treatment of addicts | | | | tests to date have been carried out on heavy drinkers |
| with natural remedies. | | | | rather than true alcoholics, but they have all found the |
| One of these natural remedies is the Chinese herb, | | | | plant effective in reducing the amount that each |
| kudzu. Kudzu is a climbing vine that can grow just | | | | member of the study drank, even though no limitations |
| about anywhere: in fields, lightly forested land and | | | | were placed on them. |
| mountains. It is found throughout China, and also in the | | | | Future studies should probably be designed to |
| south eastern states of the USA. The reason for this | | | | determine if the treatment is safe for such groups as |
| strange distribution is that the plant was introduced to | | | | pregnant women, young people and those with |
| the USA by Japan at the 1876 Centennial Expo in | | | | specific medical complaints such as liver problems. |
| Philadelphia. | | | | Naltrexone should not be used by anybody with |
| The large blooms attracted gardeners who | | | | serious liver problems, and even campral is only |
| propagated them, and when it was discovered that | | | | suitable if you have no more than a moderate liver |
| the plant made good forage for animals, Florida | | | | problem. Since alcoholics can reasonable be expected |
| nurserymen grew it as animal feed. Its effect in | | | | to also suffer from liver disease, then a treatment that |
| preventing ground erosion rendered it popular during | | | | is safe for such people would be very welcome. |
| the 1930s and 40s when farmers were paid up to $8 | | | | A 2002 meeting of the Research Society on |
| an acre for growing kudzu. Fodder and groundcover | | | | Alcoholism in San Francisco named kudzu and St. |
| were the original uses of this vine in the USA | | | | John's Wort as being the two most promising |
| irrespective of its medicinal uses on the other side of | | | | treatments for alcoholism. The mention of St. John's |
| the Pacific. | | | | Wort raises an interesting point, and one that must be |
| Prior to it being recognized as a useful treatment for | | | | discussed. That is the question of standardized doses, |
| alcoholism, the vine had been used in China for | | | | and what can happen if doses of natural products are |
| generations for the treatment of such conditions as | | | | not standardized with respect to the identified active |
| headaches, flu, high blood pressure symptoms, | | | | constituent. |
| dysentery, muscular aches and pains and the common | | | | The reason for the importance of this is that not all |
| cold. It is still used to treat digestive complaints and | | | | sources of a particular herb are equally well endowed |
| allergies, and find use in modern medicine in the | | | | with active constituents. Although, for example, a dose |
| treatment of angina. | | | | of 2.5 grams daily of kudzu root might be |
| It is the root that is mainly used, which at up to six feet | | | | recommended, how does the percent content of |
| tall provides a plentiful supply of its active ingredients. | | | | isoflavones in different roots vary. That variation will |
| These include isoflavones including daidzein and | | | | mean that the amount of active ingredient taken in one |
| isoflavone glycosides, mainly puerarin and also daidzin. | | | | 2.5g dose will differ from that in another, unless there is |
| However, it is in its application in the treatment of | | | | standardization. |
| alcohol addiction that the root is currently creating | | | | The reason St. John's Wort brought this to mind is that |
| interest. | | | | with this herb, used for some psychological problems |
| Studies in the 1960s on animals bred with an alcohol | | | | such as depression, the active ingredient content was |
| craving indicated that daidzein and daidzin reduced | | | | standardized. It was standardized to 0.3% hypericin, a |
| their consumption of alcohol when offered it, and | | | | napthodianthrone that causes an increase in dopamine |
| further studies have indicated that the mechanism of | | | | levels. However, standard doses of St. John's Wort |
| this was by inhibition of enzymes necessary for | | | | gave inconsistent results and the reason for this could |
| metabolizing alcohols. This has not yet been | | | | not be identified. It now has been. The active ingredient |
| successfully repeated in humans, but the effects on | | | | is now known to be not hypericin, but hypeforin, what |
| animals cannot be just coincidental. Or can it? That | | | | is known as a prenylated phloroglucinol. The herb is |
| question can only be answered by those for whom | | | | now standardized on this substance. |
| kudzu has been found effective, although many | | | | This is a demonstration of the importance of identifying |
| laboratory studies have shown that it certainly reduces | | | | the active ingredients in a herbal treatment accurately, |
| the alcohol consumption of those with a habitual heavy | | | | and also of standardizing doses. Kudzu doses must be |
| intake of the substance. | | | | standardized if their effect is to be consistent. There is |
| Of all the other substances that have been used in an | | | | now little doubt that addiction recovery is possible with |
| attempt to reduce the extent of alcoholism in the | | | | Chinese herbs like kudzu, and who knows what else |
| Western world, none have been found truly effective. | | | | the ancient civilizations such as the Chinese have to |
| The three recognized treatments of Campral | | | | offer us. |
| (Acamprosate Calcium), approved by the FDA in July, | | | | |