4 replies to this topic

[panarion]

Hi there,

There doesn't seem to be much on Kudzu in these forums, and I was hoping to try and canvass some experiences and opinions. It's a herb which has been much used in TCM to deal with alcoholism and related problems (cravings, hangovers etc) - allopathic research seem to suggest that it may be because Kudzu can interfere with blood ethanol concentration that it reduces the desire to drink; other evidence indicates that it may also affect neurotransmitter levels. In TCM it is also used as a sedative and seemingly as an aphrodisiac, which might be linked to inhibited absorbtion of dopamine and/or serotonin. Others seem to feel it has a stimulating quality; this has been my experience of it. A point of concern is possible estrogenic activity - phytoestrogens in the plant can bind to receptors in the body and mimic the effects of estrogen and therefore it can reduce the effectiveness of certain kinds of birth control. On the other hand this plant has been suggested as a possible, natural alternative to normal methods of hormone replacement in post-menopausel women.

I have found the plant useful as a means for reducing cravings, not just for alcohol but for tobacco and sugar as well. As mentioned, it does seem to have a stimulating effect rather than the traditionally acknowledged sedating one, so there is a possibility that it is elevating norepinephrine through it's mechanism of action. The estrogenic effects are a worry though - does this plant seem to be an anti-androgen and would it have any seriously detrimental effects on testosterone levels?

http://www.ncbi.nlm....62/?tool=pubmed

http://cas-ir.dicp.a...53M2U875NN2.pdf

http://www.mskcc.org...care/herb/kudzu

[panarion]

Also, my browser seems to have posted this same thread four times. Apologies for this, I'm not trying to spam the forum or anything, but I don't know how to delete them.

[Junk Master]

Blah, blah, blah.  This isn't your average supplement forum.  Boil it down, and make some claims.  Weak shiznit doesn't fly here.  Bring your "A" game in less than 200 words.

[panarion]

Nice. Thanks for that condescending and entirely unhelpful dick-move. I'm not making claims, I'm throwing out some information and wondering if anyone else has any experiences or knowledge to contribute. Sorry if that offends your inflated sense of purpose.

[Thorsten2]

panarion, on 18 June 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:

Nice. Thanks for that condescending and entirely unhelpful dick-move. I'm not making claims, I'm throwing out some information and wondering if anyone else has any experiences or knowledge to contribute. Sorry if that offends your inflated sense of purpose.

Hey ignore that twat, no-one here particularly likes him anyway. He very rarely comes up with anything worthwhile himself and is often the butt of jokes here in PMs. We all figure he suffers with short man syndrome or something. Every forum has one right?

I've tried Kudzu and it was great for IBS. Also, it has been shown in one study (on rodents I think) to fuse with 5HT2C antagonists so this could be responsible for its stimulatory effects. 5HT2C antagonism will release NE and DA (tonic, I think). But, I also have experience with agomelatine, which is also a 5HT2C antagonist, and the effects were somewhat different. So who knows?

I have read two theories regarding the estrogenergic effects. One being it binds to the estrogen receptors and stops estrogen from binding to them, so is actually beneficial. The other being it binds to the receptors therefore activating more of a estrogen type of effect so therefore being bad for you.

Edited by Thorsten2, 23 July 2012 - 09:29 AM.