Kudzu supplement linked to fewer binge-drinking days in trial
A US study of 120 adults with alcohol use disorder found that participants taking kudzu reported fewer binge-drinking days than those given a placebo. The…
A kudzu supplement was linked to fewer binge-drinking days among adults with alcohol use disorder in a US study, with the effect still evident three months after treatment. The findings offer a potential approach to cutting heavy drinking, but the trial paired the supplement with weekly counselling.
Researchers followed 120 adults who binge drank heavily at least once a week. Half received kudzu and half a placebo; participants took their assigned treatment for 12 weeks.
The reduction was notable. Average binge-drinking days among those taking kudzu fell from 2.15 to 1.42 per week by the end of treatment, a drop of almost 34 per cent. In the placebo group, the average declined from 2.15 to 2.06 days per week, or 4 per cent.
What did the kudzu study find?
The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, also found that the share of weeks in which participants reported any binge drinking fell from 88 per cent to 58 per cent among those taking kudzu.
Researchers said the difference continued three months after treatment. The available source text ends before giving further figures for that follow-up, but reports that participants who had taken kudzu continued to have fewer binge-drinking days than those given a placebo.
The study did not require daily use. Participants were told to take kudzu when they felt a strong craving for alcohol or an urge to binge drink, around two and a half hours before they expected to drink heavily. All participants also attended weekly counselling sessions.
How the trial defined binge drinking
The researchers defined heavy binge drinking as five or more drinks on one occasion for men and four or more for women. The study took place in the US, where the definition differed from the UK measure cited in the report: eight or more units in one session for men, and six or more for women.
That distinction matters when interpreting the results. The trial’s definition and participant group may not map directly onto how binge drinking is described elsewhere, while counselling was provided alongside the supplement. The reported change therefore reflects a treatment programme, not kudzu alone.
The study focused on adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder who binge drank at least weekly. Its results do not establish that kudzu works for everyone who wants to drink less, or that it can replace other forms of support.
The supplement is sold in the UK for around £20, which the report says works out at roughly 60p a day. In the trial, however, participants took it in response to cravings rather than every day.
The findings come against a backdrop of alcohol-related harm in the UK. The report cites more than 10,470 alcohol-related deaths in 2023 and estimates around 1 million hospital admissions each year linked to drinking. It also says 16.4 million adults drink in ways that could harm their health.
UK guidance cited in the report says it is safest to consume no more than 14 units a week regularly to keep health risks low. It advises people who drink that amount to spread consumption over three or more days, and recommends several alcohol-free days each week for those seeking to cut back.
