A UCSF trial of 120 people found that adults with alcohol use disorder who took kudzu extract before expected heavy drinking had fewer binge-drinking days than those given a placebo, and the difference was still seen three months after treatment ended.
The randomized study included people who said they binge drank at least once a week. In the trial, binge drinking meant at least five drinks on one occasion for men and four for women. For 12 weeks, participants took a standardized extract or a placebo about two and a half hours before they expected to drink heavily.
Both groups also received brief counseling once a week. In the kudzu group, the average number of binge-drinking days fell from 2.15 to 1.42 per week. In the placebo group, the average changed only slightly, from 2.15 to 2.06.
The share of weeks with any binge drinking also fell more in the kudzu group, from 88% to 58%, than in the placebo group, from 88% to 81%. Researchers reported that the difference remained at a follow-up three months after treatment ended. They also reported that participants had no more side effects than those given the placebo.
Researchers cautioned that the findings apply to the specific extract used in the study, not necessarily to store-bought kudzu supplements, which can vary. The trial was modest in size and provides evidence for further research. But it does not establish that kudzu products in general are an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder.