A Pilot Study Exploring The Effect of Kudzu Root on the Drinking Habits of Patients with Chronic Alcoholism

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.