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Published on: January 7, 2019
A pilot study exploring the effect of kudzu root on the drinking habits of patients with chronic alcoholism
1Veteran Affairs Medical Center 316, Prescott, Arizona 86313, USA.
Purpose:
The objective of this study was to assess if kudzu root extract influences the drinking habits of veterans who entered a substance abuse treatment program.
Design:
Prospective, randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial.
Setting:
A nonacademic Veteran Affairs Medical Center.
Methods:
Patients with the diagnosis of alcoholism were randomly assigned to receive either kudzu root extract 1.2 g twice daily or a matching placebo. Patients completed questionnaires that focused on craving for alcohol and sobriety status on a monthly basis.
Outcome Measures:
Sobriety level and craving for ethanol were assessed on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 10.
Results:
Thirty-eight patients completed 1 month of the study; 21 randomly assigned kudzu, 17 to placebo. No statistically significance difference in craving and sobriety scores were noted after 1 month between kudzu and placebo, or at later stages with smaller numbers (15-19) of patients.
Conclusion:
In this small patient population, kudzu root appeared to be no better than placebo in reducing the craving for alcohol or promoting sobriety.
