A pilot study exploring the effect of kudzu root on the drinking habits ofpatients with chronic alcoholism

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess if kudzu root extract in fluences the drinking habits of veterans who entered a substance abuse trea tment 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 t o 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 plac ebo, 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 sobrie ty.