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Kudzu Root
Kudzu is a coarse, high-climbing, perennial vine, whose massive root is used
for medicinal preparations in Chinese medicine and herbal products. Kudzu root
is high in isoflavones and improves circulation and blood flow through the heart
arteries. Two isoflavones, daidzin and daidzein, present in kudzu root, inhibit
the desire for alcohol and as such, the root extract can be used as a treatment
for alcoholism, and though it has not yet been proven effective as a treatment
in a controlled study, recent studies show that it reduces alcohol cravings
by up to 90%.
The fast-growing vine covers over 7 million acres of the Southeastern U.S.,
despite the fact it’s not native, and was only introduced to the U.S. in 1876
in an exposition in Pennsylvania, where the Japanese government displayed a
garden filled with plants from their country. So how did the vine spread so
quickly? Well, though the plant was originally grown for aesthetic purposes
only (it features large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms), in the 1920s it was
discovered that animals would eat the plant. During the depression, hundreds
of young men were given work planting kudzu, and farmers were paid to plant
fields of the vine. Interestingly enough, the plant grows better in the southern
U.S. than it does in its native land where it has many insect enemies.
Not only a food source, kudzu is also known to aid digestion, reduce blood
pressure, treat colds, relieve intestinal ailments, and treat alcoholism. Kudzu
is also believed to prevent alcoholism when present in a diet. In Chinese medicine,
kudzu root is used as a remedy for measles, to relieve muscle aches and pains,
especially those accompanied by a fever, and to relieve symptoms caused by high
blood pressure, including headaches and dizziness.
The root is easy to take as it can be bought as a powder form and mixed with
soups and sauces, or any other food. The suggested dosage is 9-15 grams per
day of the root. Tablets are usually available in 1.5-gram doses and should
be taken 2-3 times a day. Kudzu root tincture is also available and regular
dosage is 1-2 mL, 3-5 times a day. There are no known side effects of kudzu
root.
Kudzu root is native to China, Japan, and eastern Asia and grows in shaded
areas in mountains, along roadsides, in fields, and throughout sparse forests,
though it is also readily available in the U.S. The root is unearthed in spring
or autumn.
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