Can Kudzu Curb Binge Drinking

Can an extract from the kudzu plant reduce binge drinking? Researchers at the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital have found that one particular extract can help drinkers cut back the number of drinks they consume and slow down the speed at which they drink them.

The advantage of using the kudzu extract over other available pharmaceutical treatments, is there are no adverse side effects, the scientists say.

David Penetar, PhD, the lead author of the study, tested the effects of the isoflavone puerarin kudzu extract because it has proven to be safe for human use. Puerarin is used in China to treat coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and angina.

It also has fewer side effects that other kudzu root extracts.

Afternoon Drinking Session

For their experience, Penetar tried to create a typical afternoon drinking session for the study's participants - 10 men and women in their 20s.

He set up an "apartment" with a television, DVD player, recliner and other amenities, including a refrigerator stocked with each participant's favorite beer along with non-alcoholic beverages.

During the 90-minute sessions, participants were allowed to drink as many beers as they wanted, up to a maximum of six. After each session, the subjects were given either puerarin or a placebo to take daily for a week then return for another drinking session.

Puerarin Reduced Beers Consumed

The following week, the participants were not given any pills to take before returning for a third drinking session to see if their drinking patterns returned to normal.

Then they were given the pill that they did not take previous - placebo or puerarin - for a week before returning for a final drinking session.

The study found that drinkers who took puerarin reduced their average consumption from 3.5 beers during the 90-minute session to 2.4 beers on average.

Drinking Rate Slowed Down

Penetar said the participants taking puerarin also drank slower than the control group.

"This was a simulation of a binge drinking opportunity and not only did we see the subjects drinking less, we noted that their rate of consumption decreased, meaning they drank slower and took more sips to finish a beer," Penetar said in a news release. "While we do not suggest that puerarin will stop drinking all together, it is promising that it appears to slow the pace and the overall amount consumed."

The researchers concluded that the kudzu extract can alter alcohol consumption without adverse side effects and could be useful in the treatment of excessive alcohol consumption.

^{Source: Penetar, DM, et al. "The Isoflavone Puerarin Reduces Alcohol Intake in Heavy Drinkers: A Pilot Study." Drug and Alcohol Dependence 9 May 2012.}

Pharmaceutical Treatments:

• Medical Treatments for Alcoholism
  
• Campral
  
• Naltrexone

^{Photo: Clipart.com}