Anybody ever looked into kudzu before?

Therapeutic Efforts
#1

According to this study, kudzu is able to increase the biosynthesis of allopregnanolone as well as progesterone.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-06552-x

Not only that, but kudzu is also a potent gabaa receptor antagonist as well. Just from reading the study that I linked above, it sounds like kudzu is basically a very powerful anti-PFS herb if such thing actually existed. That was my impression anyways. Unfortunately I was unable to find any other studies that backed up this data, it seems like kudzu is a substance that isnt really very well researched outside of a handful of studies about its effect on alcoholism.

Whats really interesting about the fact that kudzu is used to treat alcoholism is that finasteride has a well known link with how people react (or dont react for that matter) to alcohol. This suggests that both kudzu and finasteride work on the same gaba receptors. I also want to point out that while I was researching kudzu I read that kudzu inclines people to not want to drink alcohol for weeks after they have stopped taking kudzu. The fact that the effects of kudzu can potentially last that long strongly suggests that kudzu may have some kind of profound effect on the mind, if kudzu’s effect is that powerful then maybe it is also powerful enough to reverse the effects of finasteride as well.

Personally I suspect that the problem with the gaba system as it relates to PFS is multifaceted and can differ from person to person in much the same way that PFS sufferers have complex and unique problems with their androgen functioning. That is to say, I think that some people have a problem with gaba deficiency, while others have a problem with the gaba receptor being desensitized, while others have a problem with gephyrin malfunction/deficiency, and then some (all?) of us have problems with all three to varying degrees. Therefore it might make sense to combine herbs that affect the gaba system in different ways and see how that affects us. Hypothetically I think that kudzu and DHM could be a potent combination worth trying out. I have some kudzu that I ordered the other day laying around, so I plan on experimenting with different combinations fairly soon to see what happens.

3 Likes
#2

Thanks for this, let me know !

#3

Kudzu definitely works in terms of reducing alcohol cravings. I took kudzu for about a month straight (three capsules a day, 1800 mg total), and the last time I took kudzu was about a week ago. Well, I am drinking a few beers right now, and honestly after the first beer I didnt even feel like drinking another one. However, since I only had three beers in the refrigerator I figured I might as well push through and drink the other two even though the desire isnt quite there. What’s interesting about this is the fact that the effect of kudzu is still present even though the last time I took kudzu was a week ago. Granted, I took kudzu for about a month straight so im guessing its effects may take some time to fade, but its still interesting that kudzu is still able to affect me like this. My experience echos the experience of many other people who have tried out kudzu supplements from the amazon review section for a kudzu supplement:

Kudzu definitely affects the gaba receptors in some way, its possible that it could help reverse or at least re-regulate our gaba receptor functioning, although this is not for certain yet. Besides its effect on alcohol cravings, I’m like 95% sure that kudzu also gave me very vivid dreams (this is another lasting side effect from the kudzu besides the alcohol effect). The fact that kudzu is able to restore my ability to have vivid, complex dreams, as well as somehow impacting my desire to drink definitely confirms that kudzu has some kind of powerful effect on the gaba receptors. Lastly, kudzu did help strengthen erections, it made them slightly stronger, more stiff.

I want to remind people that kudzu contains some of the same isoflavones that soy has, thus it is anti-androgenic, however it also contains some things that soy doesnt have, which in turn allows it to affect the gaba receptors in the way that it does.