OVERVIEW

Kudzu is a vine. Under the right growing conditions, it spreads easily, covering virtually everything that doesn’t move out of its path. Kudzu was introduced in North America in 1876 in the southeastern U.S. to prevent soil erosion. But kudzu spread quickly and overtook farms and buildings, leading some to call kudzu “the vine that ate the South.”

Kudzu’s root, flower, and leaf are used to make medicine. It has been used in Chinese medicine since at least 200 BC. As early as 600 AD, it was used to treat alcoholism.

• Chest pains.
• Kidney disease in people with diabetes (diabetic nephropathy).
• Exercise performance.
• Heart failure.
• Stroke.
• Low back pain.
• Weight loss.
• Symptoms of alcohol hangover (headache, upset stomach, dizziness and vomiting).
• Muscle pain.
• Measles.
• Dysentery.
• Stomach inflammation (gastritis).
• Fever.
• Diarrhea.
• Flu.
• Neck stiffness.
• High blood pressure.
• Abnormal heart rate and rhythm.

SIDE EFFECTS

Kudzu is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth appropriately for up to 4 months or when injected intravenously (by IV) for up to 20 days.

No side effects have been reported in clinical studies when kudzu is taken by mouth. There is, however, one case report of allergic reaction following use of a combination herbal product containing kudzu (Kakkonto).