Kudzu Root

[I-Nod]

Doing some searching & re-searching I found the kudzu plant. Like Jacky had mentioned about other plants... this one has most the characteristics of an "opiod in nature" according to what the chinese use it for.
Excerpt: "The root is also traditionally used in China for migraines, headaches, diarrhea, dysentery, intestinal obstruction, and stomach flu. The root starch is official in the Japanese pharmacopoeia for diarrhea."

Also interesting is that it is used for the treatment of alcoholism.
"Recent research has shown that compounds called 'daidzin' and 'daidzein', which are contained in the roots and the flowers, are a safe and effective method for treating alcohol abuse. They work by suppressing the appetite for alcohol, whereas existing treatments interfere with the way the alcohol is metabolised and can cause a build-up of toxins. The plant is often used in combination with Chrysanthemum x morifolium in treating alcohol abuse."

The article also said that it helps promote regeneration of liver tissue, which would be very helpful to an alcoholic.

I'm just wondering if anybody (ahem, Jacky) has any experience w/ kudzu root? Also if it has any opiod-like alkaloids?
When I lived in Charlotte, NC kudzu was a big problem in the area. It's a vine that the city imported from Japan to help control erosion in certain areas. Well, the climate or something went awry and you could see this vine swallowing up acres of forest. See a 75 ft oak just draping w/ kudzu. Now I'm wondering if I could've helped relieve Charlotte of their kudzu problem... one vine at a time. :D

Edit: gramatical errors.

[HistoryofMadness]

only experience i have with kudzu is get the FUCK out of my yard i've cut this bitch 3 times and my neighbor is a fucking chiuauhau motherfucker so suck it

[jacky]

I did a quick google to see if there was any overt info on kudzu containing opioid agonist/antagonist compounds. I didnt find much....but there was a reference that kudzu might help cravings for alchohol and some other drugs.

one think I tripped over while looking was a reference to tyrosine making the effects of morphine possibly stronger....that would be cool.
looks like I will pick some up tomorrow.

maybe kudzu might help opiate detox? only one way to tell.....

[I-Nod]

Ah, well thanks Jacky. It was listed under Pain at some chinese herbal site... so it peaked my curiosity. Being this stuff grows like wild-fire and just about anywhere. Even if it helps w/ alcohol, I should get some use out of it down the road. Nice find on the tyrosine too. Never enough potentiators!

[HistoryofMadness]

sry being drunk doesn't help me make sense of any of this

[I-Nod]

sry being drunk doesn't help me make sense of any of this

Eat some kudzu root! :D LOL... j/k HoM

[HistoryofMadness]

Eat some kudzu root! :D LOL... j/k HoM

no shit i'm fuckerschnockered but i haven't seen kudzu since i moved to texas

[jacky]

well if this kudzu is used for pain, perhaps some combinations with opiates/opioids and kudzu would be worthwhile of investigation.
for all we know there is some opioid affinity with this plant, and I wont be suprised when they find opioids in some plants native to north america that have been growing under our noses for years.

I imagine that kudzu should be a relatively cheap herb.

[HistoryofMadness]

I imagine that kudzu should be a relatively cheap herb.

its growing out of control all over the southeast... we basically had to burn the yard down to get rid of it... i have heard of people eating it and using it for topical medication, kind of a thing in appalachia, but i've never heard of anyone ingesting it for pain...

but its worth a shot. i'm sure i could get my hands on a few pounds of it...

as far as root, though, that may be difficult... its a vine obviously and it does have roots but that's no easy chore.

[Papa Verine]

Damn, doesn't grow this far north. I'd dig some up and start investigating myself. Somebody down in the Southeast should check into this. I noticed there's Pueraria montana (Kudzu) and pueraria phaseoloides (Tropical Kudzu). I wonder if it's either or just one being used medicinally and what the difference is between them. It's peuraria montana that's so widespread here in the Southeast US.