Before a night out, the idea may seem tempting: take a plant to keep control of your alcohol consumption. This is the cautious promise that surrounds kudzu, or Japanese vine, today, according to a study published in theAmerican Journal of Psychiatry. This trial suggests a decline in some reported episodes of excessive consumptionbut only with a precise extract, in a supervised protocol and with weekly support. Please note, these results do not make kudzu a validated treatment for alcohol dependence, nor a reason to self-medicate before drinking.
What happened in the American trial?
The study, conducted among 120 adults with an alcohol use disorder and episodes of binge drinkingtested a standardized oral extract of kudzu against placebo. Participants were asked to take it on demand, approximately 2.5 hours before a situation where they anticipated a large consumption. This dose of 2 g corresponds to the research protocol,
not at a dosage recommended to the public.
“Excessive alcohol consumption is extremely common, but we have few tools to help people who want to reduce their consumption.”explains Professor Glenn-Milo Santos, lead author of the study and professor of community health systems at the UCSF School of Nursing. “Our objective is to enrich this range of tools. The benefit of this approach is that it allows people to use it when they know they are at risk of drinking excessively, rather than taking a medication every day.”.
Another essential element: both groups also benefited from brief weekly support. The effect observed cannot therefore be summed up with one capsule taken alone before an evening. The trial was randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, but it remains a modestly sized phase 2b trial conducted in the United States.
The figures reported point towards a reduction in excesses. Over 12 weeks, the average number of days of excessive consumption per week fell from 2.15 to 1.42 in the kudzu group, compared to 2.15 to 2.06 in the placebo group. The proportion of weeks marked by an excess also decreased more with kudzu, from 88% to 58%, compared to 88% to 81% with the placebo.
Overall tolerance was described as comparable between the groups, with no serious adverse effects considered linked to kudzu. The authors and the UCSF press release, however, emphasize a very concrete point: supplements sold commercially are not necessarily equivalent to the standardized product used in the trial.
Why this doesn’t mean “getting off the booze”
The primary outcome concerns reported episodes of excessive drinking, not recovery from addiction or lasting abstinence. Other criteria did not show a significant decline in the main analysis: total number of drinks per month, biological markers of consumption, irrepressible urge to drink, severity of dependence or depression scores.
This is an important difference for the reader:
reducing certain peaks of consumption is not the same as treating an alcohol use disorder. Another small study, conducted in 19 people seeking treatment for an alcohol use disorder, did not show any superiority of kudzu compared to placebo. It is also not enough to decide, but reminds us that the path remains fragile.
We must also avoid the effect of false security. Imagining that a plant makes excesses more controllable can lead to drinking more or delaying treatment. However, heavy drinking exposes you to immediate risks – accidents, violence, discomfort, unprotected sex – and to longer-term risks, particularly to the liver, sleep and mental health.
What if you want to reduce your consumption in France?
In France, the benchmarks from Public Health France and the INCa remain a simple basis: do not exceed 10 standard drinks per week, no more than 2 glasses per day, and keep alcohol-free days. A standard drink corresponds to 10 g of pure alcohol. These benchmarks do not mean that there is a risk-free consumption, but they help to define your habits.
If you regularly exceed these benchmarks, if you lose control once you start, or if your loved ones are worried, the right reflex is to talk to a GP, an addictologist or a Center for Care, Support and Prevention in Addictology (CSAPA). Reduction can be a goal of care in certain situations, with medical and psychosocial support; Prescription medications can also be offered depending on the case, as recalled by Health Insurance. To find out more, you can consult our file on how to reduce your alcohol consumption with medical support.
The word “natural” does not guarantee the absence of risk. Food supplements may vary in composition, interact with treatments, or be not recommended in certain situations. With kudzu, caution is all the more necessary as the plant contains isoflavones and clinical data remains limited. In the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding, a history of hormone-dependent cancer, liver or kidney disease, or long-term treatment, it is better to seek medical advice and report any dietary supplement to your doctor.
The kudzu trail therefore deserves to be followed as researchnot as a strategy to test alone before a party. The most useful signal, ultimately, is perhaps this: if you are looking for a product to control your excesses, this is already a good reason to speak to a professional without delay.