Kudzu is a climbing, woody or semi-woody, perennial vine that seems to swallow everything it comes in contact with, a plant that belongs to the pea family. The starchy root of kudzu is high in complex carbohydrates; helps balance the acidic nature of many foods, and is soothing and cooling to the digestive tract.
The root was used to prevent excessive consumption, while the flower was supposed to detoxify the liver and alleviate the symptoms afterwards.
It’s even been used as an alternative remedy to relieve muscular aches and to treat measles. Herbalists take the root of the plant and boil it to make a starchy powder or solid kudzu root starch.
Some make liquid concoctions like ginseng extract or vanilla extract from the root. Yet others make tea from it.
Research demonstrates that Kudzu root helps to regulate glucose metabolism to reduce obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
It also has a balancing effect on hormonal imbalances such as elevated estrodiol and low progesterone. Kudzu root extract is a powerful re-balancer, bringing the body back to a more alkaline state.
This helps you fight off colds, resolve digestive complaints, rebalance blood sugar, rebalance the effects of alcohol. Kudzu also known in America as kudzu root has been prized for its medicinal properties in China and Japan for thousands of years.
Other oral kudzu uses include polio myelitis, encephalitis, hypertension, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, migraine, deafness, diabetes, traumatic injuries, sinusitis, urticaria, pruritus and psoriasis.
Intravenously, the kudzu constituent puerarin is used for ischemic stroke.
Theoretically, kudzu root powder might interfere with blood glucose control requiring dosing adjustment of diabetes drug therapy. Kudzu constituents have hypoglycemic activity in animals.
Although kudzu is generally considered safe, it’s important to consult your physician if you’re considering using kudzu to treat a health condition. Common side effects include diarrhoea, dyspepsia (indigestion), headache, nausea and vomiting, rash, and itching.
