 |
If you consider herbaceous plants with large root systems to be embarrassing and difficult to control, they still have certain strengths. This is the case with kudzu, a particularly invasive fodder plant due to its long roots that can reach 2 meters. Over time, many studies have highlighted the benefits and virtues of this perennial species with great potential for expansion. What are the hidden secrets of kudzu?
Kudzu, origins and peculiarities of a climbing plant that seduces
Kudzu (or Pueraria montana for its scientific name) is a legume from the Fabaceae family native to the East and Asia that grows mainly in Japan and India. Known for its properties for health purposes, the plant has long been used for erosion control, as a natural fertilizer in soil enrichment, in livestock feed and as an ornamental species. Kudzu is of interest to many researchers and scientists because of its special root which harbors nitrogen fixing bacteria. It is this peculiarity that allows it to serve as a medicinal remedy. The roots of the plant live in symbiosis with bacteria which produce nitrogen compounds. Thus, they fertilize the earth. This promotes the growth of other surrounding plants. Depending on the climate, sunshine, the purity of running water and the quality of the soil, the Kudzu will be of better quality or not (1). The properties are recognized in the treatment of excessive tobacco and alcohol consumption and against various cardiovascular diseases and other ailments such as diabetes, colds and fever.
Alcohol Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for alcohol
Kudzu is considered an excellent ally in weaning individuals who suffer from excessive alcohol consumption. This property is ensured by the third active principle of Kudzu, Daidzein (an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent). Isolated daidzin (150 mg / kg / day i.p.) also decreases alcohol intake by approximately 50% in golden hamsters (KEUNG and VALLEE, 1993a) (2). The administration of Kudzu root extracts would lead to a significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol (Ethanol) both in humans (3) and in certain animals (Syrian hamster). Kudzu can be used by people who are not yet addicted to alcohol, but want to reduce the amount they consume, as well as by people who are trying to get rid of it with the help of their doctor and under prescription drugs. The results of a study published in May 2005 with participants regularly monitored with blood and urine tests after taking alcohol and Kudzu were published in the scientific journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The aim of the researchers is to reduce the amount of drugs given with the use of Kudzu and hence their possible side effects in patients. The results of the study showed that Kudzu extract reduced the effects of the amount of alcohol consumed by study participants by 50%. Upstream, Kudzu also helps reduce the urge to take alcohol in some patients (4). Another study from Harvard University is very instructive on the subject; University researchers conducted a placebo-controlled study of alcohol kudzu on a group of men and women who regularly drank 3 to 4 glasses of beer a day. The study made it possible to draw 2 interesting conclusions:
1. Participants who took kudzu were significantly less likely to drink alcohol than those who took a placebo;
2. Participants who received kudzu felt the effects of alcohol more quickly. As a result, they needed less alcohol to achieve a similar sense of pleasure.
The herb has therefore been able to prove its effectiveness, so much so that on the market it is common to find it in the form of a gelatin capsule or powder whose great processing powers are praised.
Tobacco Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for tobacco
The virtues of Kudzu are also recognized in weaning against tobacco. The American firm "Nature's Plus" (http://www.natural.distribution.com/) which markets Kudzu containing 1.5% Daidzine and 0.95% Daidzéine (but no information on the presence of Puérarine ) recommends it in the fight against addiction to alcohol, but also to tobacco (5). The plant has been found to have properties which can be better directed against the effects of nicotine; both in stimulating envy and its long-term effects. The molecules in kudzu work by effectively binding nicotine receptors. The plant is also known to have effects on the agitations and irritability that afflict people with tobacco addiction during periods of withdrawal. This is why the plant is a main component of many phytotherapeutic products such as sprays that are used in the treatment of addictions. In summary, tobacco kudzu can help alleviate the acute stress associated with many addictions and promote abstinence. The results are so positive that kudzu is today considered to be a component in well-known drugs for the treatment of various addictions.
Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for menopause
Kudzu has found wider application in many areas of medicine. Used correctly, it is particularly effective in the treatment of many diseases. Daidzein is very popular thanks to its low estrogenic properties to fight against certain symptoms of menopause, in particular hot flashes. It has been shown in clinical trials that from adolescence, taking Kudzu relieves symptoms of menopause, helps regulate anti-inflammatory activity, serves as an analgesic and helps relax muscles due to its content. high in isoflavones. In general, the plant is an excellent tonic: it is a good aphrodisiac, a muscular and cardiac tonic. It contains a huge amount of phytoestrogens, as well as a class of three chromium molecules which, by their estrogenic action, can be compared to estrogen itself. The level of bioactive phytoestrogens largely depends on the variety, growing conditions and age of the plant. The plant (kudzu) is rich in isoflavones, compounds that are found in many species of the Fabaceae family, such as soybeans and red clover. It is thus of interest in the management of disorders associated with menopause. Finally, in recent years, its use has also been considered in the support of alcohol withdrawal. (6)
 |
Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for Diabetes
Kudzu is an excellent herbal medicine in treating the benefits of many cardiovascular diseases, including diabetes. As is known, an excessive amount of glucose in the blood is the cause of diabetes. However, Kudzu is known as a good regulator of glucose in the blood. In addition to these two therapeutic properties, Kudzu Diabetes Root Powder is endowed with some estrogenic activity, a property mainly due to Daidzein. In mice for example, a hypoglycemic effect of puerarin has been demonstrated and has given some hope for treating non-insulin-dependent diabetes (7).
Kudzu is used for the treatment of diabetes because it is able to regulate sugar in the whole body, reduce inflammation in the small and large intestinal systems, and have antiemetic action in the fight against blood 'tonsillitis. It is also one of the most effective ways to promote breastfeeding, normalize the menstrual cycle and spermatogenesis. The root of pueraria has also been shown to be a detoxifier, particularly to protect the liver. These results have sparked great curiosity and strong interdisciplinary collaboration to establish a useful link between traditional medicine and modern biomedical medicine. The aim is to achieve the development of kudzu root as an effective medicine in the management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for the common cold
For thousands of years, the roots of Kudzu have been used effectively in the treatment of a variety of conditions affecting the head, such as colds and influenza infections. They help in particular to relieve the common cold because it is considered a cold plant, therefore useful in relieving the direct consequences of the climate on the body. It has antibacterial properties that help decongest the nasal passages and antispasmodic properties that help relieve gas and migraines. "Kakkon" is the root of dehydrated cold Kudzu which is used as main benefits and virtues in natural and traditional pharmacopoeia, in the form of small cubes, thin strips or powder. It is sudorific, febrifuge and analgesic. It is effective at the onset of a cold, when the first chills are felt. (8) In Japan, for example, tea with ginger and kudzu extracts is a very effective remedy in the treatment of early colds. A simple drink will relieve stuffy noses and sore throats.
Kudzu and its benefits and virtues for fever
Kudzu is the quintessential winter medicine, as it is often used in the treatment of upper respiratory tract problems, including sinus infections. In alternative medicine, kudzu is commonly used in the form of infusions or decoctions of dried inflorescences. The rhizome is applicable in traditional medicine as a cough medicine. The root is used for other ailments and illnesses accompanied by fever or migraines.
Many civilizations have incorporated kudzu treatments into fever remedies and benefits. When they have a fever, the Japanese warm their bodies with a good soup thickened with Kudzu and sleep with a large futon (comforter) to sweat (9). It is also found in the Pharmacopoeia of the Middle Kingdom. In traditional Chinese medicine, the root of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi is characterized by its “cold” and “pungent” properties, used to treat “hot” symptoms and to relieve “outside syndromes” (feeling cold. , fever, headache…) (ZHU, 1998). It is indicated for fevers associated with headaches and muscle pain in the neck and upper back (10). The root is harvested in winter according to an old tradition that the root is most effective during this season.
Why take acerola kudzu with acerola?
Acerola is a fruit rich in vitamin C, with antioxidant activity. It resembles the common cherry, with a very tasty sweet taste and a slightly sour tone. It is a tropical type food that is cultivated in Mexico and South Texas.
Numerous clinical studies have been able to reveal that the important antioxidant properties, derived from vitamins A and C of acerola, could serve as an important element in a normal diet, as evidenced by several published studies. The virtues of acerola are therefore mainly due to its great richness in vitamin C. According to studies analyzing its chemical composition, it was found that on 100g, acerola extracts contain between 1000 and 2000 mg of vitamin C. vitamin C is important for maintaining the functioning of the immune system and helping the body to fight infections, viruses. Associated with Kudzu, acerola can be used as an antioxidant in the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases and especially in reducing the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Acerola is often recommended as part of smoking cessation for its detoxifying power. Blends of acerola and kudzu extract are often marketed in powdered capsule form to fight addictions.
References: Documents
(1) (3) (5) (7) (8) (9) PHYTOTHÉRAPIE – PHYTOTOXICITÉ LA SAGESSE DES PLANTES ; André PICOT. ; Paris janvier 2017 (http://www.atctoxicologie.fr/images/Dossier/LES_PLANTES/20170113_La_Sagesse_des_Plantes_V-13jan2017.pdf)
(2) (6) (10) Contribution à l’étude du Kudzu (Pueraria Lobata Willd.) Ohwi) : De l’usage traditionnel aux applications thérapeutiques modernes ; François-Xavier Henry. ; Université de Lorraine ; Mars 2018 (https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01733363/document)
(4) Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research ; Wiley-Blackwell
