kudzu,

an herb that grows in vine form, native to China and Japan and introduced to the United States.
uses It is used to reduce alcohol cravings and to treat alcohol hangovers and menopausal symptoms. Its
efficacy is unproven.
contraindications It should not be used during pregnancy and lactation, in children, or in those with
known hypersensitivity. It should be used with caution by people who have heart disease.
an herb that grows in vine form, native to China and Japan and introduced to the United States.
uses It is used to reduce alcohol cravings and to treat alcohol hangovers and menopausal symptoms. Its
efficacy is unproven.
contraindications It should not be used during pregnancy and lactation, in children, or in those with
known hypersensitivity. It should be used with caution by people who have heart disease
The Amazing Story of "KUDZU"

Following is the story of Kudzu, Georgia's most famous "plant". When I first moved here, I
saw it growing all along the roadsides and thought to myself, what a wonderful vine...it's so
bright and lucious. It covered everything, almost like the old english ivy you see in movies, you
know, the ivy that grows up along side the stone houses? Well, let me tell you, I was set straight
real fast, and here is why.

"In Georgia, the legend says that you must close

your windows at night to keep it out the house.The
glass is tinged with green, even so..." From the
poem,"Kudzu," by James Dickey

There's so much of this fast-growing vine in the

Southeastern U.S., you might think it was a native
plant. Actually, it took a lot of hard work to help
kudzu spread so widely. Now that it covers over
seven million acres of the deep South, there are a
lot of people working hard to get rid of it! But kudzu is used in ways which might surprise you...

Kudzu's History:

Up and Down the Power Pole

Kudzu was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Countries were invited to build exhibits to celebrate the 100th birthday of the U.S.
The Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden filled with plants from their country.
The large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms of kudzu captured the imagination of American
gardeners who used the plant for ornamental purposes.

Florida nursery operators, Charles and Lillie Pleas, discovered that animals would eat the plant
and promoted its use for forage in the 1920s. Their Glen Arden Nursery in Chipley sold kudzu
plants through the mail. A historical marker there proudly proclaims "Kudzu Developed Here."
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Soil Conservation Service promoted kudzu for
erosion control. Hundreds of young men were given work planting kudzu through the Civilian
Conservation Corps. Farmers were paid as much as eight dollars an acre as incentive to plant
fields of the vines in the 1940s.

"Cotton isn't king in the South anymore.

Kudzu is king!"

Kudzu's most vocal advocate was Channing Cope of Covington, Georgia who promoted use of
the vine to control erosion. Cope wrote about kudzu in articles for the Atlanta Journal-
Constitution and talked about its virtues frequently on his daily WSB-AM radio program
broadcast from his front porch. During the 1940s, he traveled across the southeast starting Kudzu
Clubs to honor what he called "the miracle vine."

Cope was very disappointed when the U.S. government stopped advocating the use of kudzu in
1953.

Kudzu Control: An Impossible Dream?

The problem is that it just grows too well! The climate of the Southeastern U.S. is perfect for
kudzu. The vines grow as much as a foot per day during summer months, climbing trees, power
poles, and anything else they contact. Under ideal conditions kudzu vines can grow sixty feet
each year.

While they help prevent erosion, the vines can also destroy valuable forests by preventing trees
from getting sunlight. This problem led Dr. James H. Miller of the U.S. Forest Service in
Auburn, Alabama to research methods for killing kudzu. In eighteen years of research, he has
found that one herbicide actually makes kudzu grow better while many have little effect. Miller
recommends repeated herbicide treatments for at least four years, but some kudzu plants may
take as long as ten years to kill, even with the most effective herbicides.

The USDA declared kudzu to be a weed in 1972!

Dr. Errol G. Rhoden, along with other researchers at Tuskegee University, has successfully
raised Angora goats in fields of kudzu which would otherwise be considered wasted land. The
goats keep the kudzu from spreading further while producing profitable milk and wool products.
Rhoden says constant grazing will eventually eradicate kudzu. If kudzu is to provide a
continuing food source, animals must be removed from the fields occasionally to allow the vines
time to grow.

Uses for Kudzu: It's here. It's free... Why not?

Basket makers have found that the rubber-like vines are excellent for decorative and functional
creations. Ruth Duncan of Greenville, Alabama makes over 200 kudzu baskets each year and
says she doesn't mind that people call her the "Queen of Kudzu."

Regina Hines of Ball Ground, Georgia, has developed unique basket styles which incorporate
curled kudzu vines. She weaves with other vines as well, but says that kudzu is the most
versatile.

Nancy Basket of Union, South Carolina, makes paper from kudzu which she uses in colorful
collages. Her designs vary from geometric shapes to images of rural life and Native American
themes.

Diane Hoots of Warner Robins, Georgia has developed a company to market her kudzu products
which include kudzu blossom jelly and syrup, kudzu baskets, and books. Her book, Kudzu: The
Vine to Love or Hate, co-written with Juanita Baldwin, is an indepth study of the South's
love/hate relationship with the vine. The book includes recipes and basket making instructions.

Henry and Edith Edwards of Rutherfordton, North Carolina have found many uses for kudzu
over the past 30 years. Henry produces over 1,000 bales of kudzu hay each year on his Kudzu
Cow Farm. The hay is high in nutritive value, but many people have found kudzu difficult to cut
and bale. Henry says the secret is to "cut it low and bale it high."

Edith Edwards makes deep-fried kudzu leaves, kudzu quiche, and many other kudzu dishes. She
found recipes in The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary and Healing Guide by William Shurtleff and
Akiko Aoyagi, and thought this was a good use for a plentiful resource. She has demonstrated
kudzu cooking for clubs, schools, and visitors to the Knoxville World's Fair.

Common names for kudzu include: mile-a-minute vine, foot-a-night vine, and the vine that ate
the South.

Current research may lead to new medicines made from kudzu, but for now only hamsters and
mice can benefit from these drugs. Research with laboratory animals at Harvard Medical School
has revealed that a drug extracted from kudzu root may help in the treatment of alcoholism. The
drug is based on a 2,000 year old Chinese herbal medicine. Several years of testing may be
required before the drug can be made available for human consumption.

In China and Japan, ground kudzu root (called kuzu) has been a common ingredient in foods and
medications for centuries. Kudzu is respected and enjoyed there. It's far more versatile than say,
turnips. But kudzu grows better in the South than it does in its native lands. Its natural insect
enemies were not brought to the U.S. with it.

That's why visitors to the South are sometimes awe-struck by scenic vistas which reveal miles
and miles of seemingly endless vines.

Southerners just close their windows at night to keep the kudzu out.
Kudzu
Alternative Medicine
The following information is specific for alternative and complementary medicine. For additional evidence-based
information on diseases, conditions, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and wellness issues, continue searching
the Healthwise Knowledgebase.

Photo copyright Steven Foster

Common name:

• Ge-gen

Botanical Names

Botanical name:

• Pueraria lobata

Parts used and where grown

Kudzu is a coarse, high-climbing, twining, trailing, perennial vine. The huge root, which can
grow to the size of a human, is the source of medicinal preparations used in Traditional
Chinese Medicine and modern herbal products. Kudzu grows in most shaded areas in
mountains, fields, along roadsides, thickets, and thin forests throughout most of China and
the southeastern United States. The root of another Asian species of kudzu, Pueraria
thomsonii, is also used for herbal products.
Health Concerns

Kudzu has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the
individual health concern for complete information):

Rating Health Concerns

Alcohol withdrawal support

Angina

Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health

benefit.
Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or
minimal health benefit.
An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has
little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

Traditional Use

Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies)

Kudzu root has been known for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine as ge-gen. The
first written mention of the plant as a medicine is in the ancient herbal text of Shen Nong
(circa A.D. 100). In Traditional Chinese Medicine, kudzu root is used in prescriptions for the
treatment of wei, or "superficial," syndrome (a disease that manifests just under the
surface-mild, but with fever), thirst, headache, and stiff neck with pain due to high blood
pressure.1 It is also recommended for allergies, migraine headaches, and diarrhea. The
historical application for drunkenness has become a major focal point of modern research on
kudzu. It is also used in modern Chinese medicine as a treatment for angina pectoris.

Active Constituents

Active constituents

Kudzu root is high in isoflavones, such as daidzein, as well as isoflavone glycosides, such as
daidzin and puerarin. Depending on its growing conditions, the total isoflavone content
varies from 1.77-12.0%, with puerarin in the highest concentration, followed by daidzin and
daidzein.2

A 1993 animal study showed that both daidzin and daidzein inhibit the desire for alcohol.3
The authors concluded the root extract may be useful for reducing the urge for alcohol and
as treatment for alcoholism. However, a small controlled clinical trial with alcoholic adults
taking 1.2 grams of kudzu two times per day failed to show any effect on decreasing alcohol
consumption or cravings.4 On the other hand, supplementing with a kudzu extract (1,000
mg three times a day for seven days) significantly reduced the amount of beer consumed by
heavy alcohol drinkers in a short-term experiment.5

Dosage

How much is usually taken?

The 1985 Chinese Pharmacopoeia suggests 9-15 grams of kudzu root per day.6 In China,
standardized root extracts (10 mg tablet is equivalent to 1.5 grams of the crude root) are
used to treat angina pectoris. Some sources recommend 30-120 mg of the extract two to
three times per day.

Side Effects

Are there any side effects or interactions?

At the amounts recommended above, there have been no reports of kudzu toxicity in
humans.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with kudzu.

Name: Kudzu

Biological Name: Pueraria lobata

Leguminosae

Other Names: Kudzu, Ge-gen, kuzu, pueraria

Parts Used: Roots

Active Compounds:

Kudzu root is high in isoflavones, such as daidzein, as well as isoflavone glycosides, such as daidzin
and puerarin. Depending on its growing conditions, the total isoflavone content varies from 1.77-
12.0%, with puerarin in the highest concentration, followed by daidzin and daidzein.

History:

Kudzu root has been known for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as ge-gen. The first written
mention of the plant as a medicine is in the ancient herbal text of Shen Nong (circa A.D.100). In
traditional Chinese medicine, kudzu root is used in prescriptions for the treatment of wei, or
“superficial,” syndrome (a disease that manifests just under the surface—mild, but with fever), thirst,
headache, and stiff neck with pain due to high blood pressure. It is also recommended for allergies,
migraine headaches, inadequate measles eruptions in children, and diarrhea It is also used in
modern Chinese medicine as a treatment for angina pectoris.
Remedies For:

Diaphoretic, antispasmodic, muscle relaxant, antipyretic

Useful for:

• alcohol withdrawal support

• angina
• high blood pressure

Clears wind heat; relieves muscular tension and spasms, especially of the neck and shoulders; vents
eruptive skin diseases, such as measles. It is used for fevers caused by heat in colds and influenza
and for stiff neck and shoulders. It has some demulcent properties, making it useful for thirst and
dryness. It can also be used for many other diverse conditions, ranging from hypertension, dysentery,
and colitis to sudden nerve deafness. The flowers have been shown to be effective in lessening the
desire for alcohol and thus are used in the treatment of alcoholism.

Description:

Kudzu is a coarse, high-climbing, twining, trailing, perennial vine. The huge root, which can grow to
the size of a human body, is the source of medicinal preparations used in traditional Chinese
medicine and modern herbal products. Kudzu grows in most shaded areas in mountains, fields, along
roadsides, thickets, and thin forests, throughout most of China. The root of another Asian species of
kudzu, Pueraria thomsonii, is also used for herbal products.

Dosage:

9-15 grams per day of kudzu root.

In China, tablets of the standardized root (10 mg of weight per tablet equivalent to 1.5 grams of the
crude root) are used for angina pectoris. This would equate to 30-120 mg two to three times per day.
Kudzu tincture can be used in the amount of 1-2 ml taken three to five times per day.

Safety:

Pueraria should not be used by those with cold in the stomach and excessive sweating. At the
dosages recommended above, there have been no reports of kudzu toxicity in humans.

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata). Chinese studies suggest that kudzu helps normalize blood pressure. When a
tea containing about eight teaspoons of kudzu root was given daily to 52 people for two to eight weeks,
17 people experienced marked decline in their blood pressure. Kudzu is a powerful antioxidant. It has 100
times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E. Hence it also helps prevent heart disease and cancer.

Name: Lime Blossom

Other Names: Linden Blossom

Description: The Linden tree is a medium sized tree with dark green heart-shaped leaves, with blue-
green undersides. The tree has fragrant yellow-white flowers, followed by round green fruits.

Parts used
The dried flowers are normally used, although the inner bark with the newly formed young wood
(sapwood) is also used.

Properties
The flowers are an aromatic, mucilaginous herb with diuretic, expectorant and calming properties,
lowering blood pressure and increasing perspiration.

Apart from the mucilage, the flowers also contain phenolics - pro-anthocyanidins, gallocatechol tannins
and phenolic acids, while the sapwood contains phenolics and polyphenols.

Conditions Treated Using Lime Blossom:

Coughing, Stress
Lime Blossom (Tilia europea) - For treating hypertension take an infusion of
Lime Blossom. Add one teaspoon full of dried leaves of lime blossom in one cup of
boiling water . Leave this infusion for ten minutes, Now filter it and its ready for
drinking.

Lime blossom (Tilia europea): For treating hypertension associated with arteriosclerosis and anxiety,
take an infusion. Pour one cup of boiling water onto one teaspoonful of the dried flowers; leave to infuse
ten minutes, filter, and drink.

Name: Linden

Biological Name: Tilia europea

Tiliaceae

Other Names: Linden, Lime Blossoms, Linden flowers, Tilia

Parts Used: Dried flowers

Active Compounds:

Volatile oil, up to about 0.l%, containing farnesol

Flavonoids; hesperidin, quercitin, astralagin, tiliroside and others
Miscellaneous; mucilage (in the bract), phenolic acids, tannins

Remedies For:
Nervine, anti-spasmodic, hypotensive, diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue,
astringent.

Linden is a relaxing remedy for nervous tension. Also used as a prophylactic against the development
of arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Also used in the treatment of raised blood pressure associated
with arteriosclerosis and nervous tension. Its relaxing action combined with a general effect upon the
circulatory system give Linden a role in the treatment of some forms of migraine. The diaphoresis
combined with the relaxation explain its value in feverish colds and flu.

Combinations : In raised blood pressure it may be used with Hawthorn and European Mistletoe, with
Hops in nervous tension and with Elder Flower in the common cold.

Description: Found in Europe

Dosage:

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto l teaspoonful of the blossoms and leave to infuse for 10
minutes. This should be drunk three times a day. For a diaphoretic effect in fever, use 2-3
teaspoonfuls.

Tincture: take l-2ml of the tincture three times a day.

Safety:

No information available. Some herbs are known to react with your medication. Please consult your
physician before starting on any herb.