Side effects are relatively uncommon and include mild stomach upset, headache, insomnia and skin rash. Policosanol may interact with blood thinners and increase kudzu root alcohol cravings the risk of bleeding. Finding a quality product may be a challenge, since the Food and Drug Administration does not monitor dietary supplements. Kudzu is believed to have its origins in China, where its tuberous root, known as Ge-gen, has been considered a valuable part of the traditional medicine for two millennia.
Thus, the current treatment system reaches relatively few people with dependence, provides time-limited counseling for people with severe and persistent dependence, fails to offer consumers a choice of treatment approaches, and is not configured to deliver new approaches based on research. It is time to broadly reconsider what kind of services should be offered, where they should be offered, and who should provide them. Fortunately, 40 years of research provides a solid scientific basis to guide this process and suggests a framework for moving forward.
ReviewPhytotherapeutic approach to alcohol dependence: New old way?
Most seek no help at all and yet eventually are able to overcome their compulsive drinking either through abstaining or cutting back to low-risk drinking (Moss et al. 2007). They typically suffer, however, for a period of years, and, although their lives do not fall apart, their excessive drinking may be a matter of significant concern for them and their loved ones. In this way, people with functional AUDs resemble others with major depression or anxiety disorders who are able to function but at a suboptimal level and with a significant level of distress. In both cases, effective medication treatment is available that can be prescribed by a physician. Like AUDs now, only the most severely affected were identified and treated, typically with hospitalization. Now with many similar effective, safe, and easy-to-use medications available for treating depression, more than two-thirds of people receive treatment, usually from their primary-care doctor (Ledoux et al. 2009).
Anecdotal reports and findings of animal studies suggest that Ashwagondha lessens the severity of withdrawal from morphine. Mice pre-treated with Ashwagondha for 10 days did not develop tolerance to analgesic effects of morphine, suggesting that Ashwagondha may have similar beneficial effects in human heroin addicts (Ramarao et al, 1995; Kulkarni & Ninan, 1997). As with many other conditions, there are OTC herbal supplements that claim to be an effective treatment option. Three herbal supplements commonly seen as self-treatment options for alcohol dependency include St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), and Kudzu (Pueraria lobata). Providing this level and type of care for severe recurrent AUDs requires new approaches to where services will be provided and by whom. Ideally, physicians (including psychiatrists), other mental health clinicians, nurses, and counselors will coordinate the provision of multiple services, individualized for each patient.
Herbal Treatment for Liver Cirrhosis
While herbal supplements may be appealing as a natural approach to alcoholism recovery, it is important to exercise caution. Seeking professional help and guidance from healthcare professionals is advised, rather than relying solely on over-the-counter supplements. Nutritional deficiencies, such as B-vitamin deficiencies, are common in individuals with alcoholism, and supplementation with vitamins and minerals like thiamine, D-phenylalanine, L-glutamine, magnesium, zinc, and selenium may offer some benefits. However, it is crucial to consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplementation regimen. As stated in the article’s introduction, alcoholism generally develops over long periods of time. Furthermore, although the disorder progresses continuously in some alcoholics, it remains stable or even regresses spontaneously in others.
The above findings should be viewed in the context of a 2105 systematic review and meta-analysis that found no evidence that melatonin facilitated benzodiazepine discontinuation and inconsistent effects of melatonin on sleep quality . Aralia elata is a component of a compound Chinese herbal formula traditionally used to prevent or mitigate alcohol intoxication. They are also interested in the possibility of developing a dosage of kudzu that individuals could take once, before a night of drinking, rather than a set of pills which must be taken regularly. At the time of writing, there were no well-known supplement or food interactions with this supplement. But promising as it is for rats, it remains to be seen whether the drug is safe and effective for people.
What the evidence suggests.
Intermittent ethanol vapor exposure significantly increased 15% (v/v) ethanol intake by 30–50% in the post-vapor period, usually after multiple cycles and usually after 24 h of withdrawal (Finn et al. 2007). Similar results have been reported using an operant response in mice in 60 min test sessions for 10% (w/v) ethanol with intermittent vapor exposure of 14 h on/10 h off (Chu et al. 2007). People who are involved with some type of regular spiritual practice may find it easier to maintain recovery from alcohol use disorder or other addictions. For many people, gaining greater insight into their spiritual side is a key element in recovery. At the same time, alcohol produces unpleasant effects—such as sedation, negative moods, and motor impairments—that typically deter alcohol consumption.17 The sedation results from enhanced inhibitory GABA neurotransmission via alcohol’s direct action on GABA-A receptors.
Critical examples include facilitating brain function, improving mood, flushing out vitamins for recovering alcoholics toxins and transferring nutrients between cells. Your body is able to synthesize some of the amino acids on its own, but there are several you can only absorb from food. Mentat™, a proprietary Ayurvedic compound herbal formula, has been found to reverse effects of acute benzodiazepine withdrawal in dependent mice, and may provide similar benefits in humans (Kulkarni 1994; Kulkarni 1992). The notion of dependence on a drug, object, role, activity or any other stimulus-source requires the crucial feature of negative affect experienced in its absence. The degree of dependence can be equated with the amount of this negative affect, which may range from mild discomfort to extreme distress, or it may be equated with the amount of difficulty or effort required to do without the drug, object, etc (Russell 1976).
Subjects who had a stable social environment (i.e., employment or a functional marriage) or who frequently went to AA meetings had the highest rates of abstinence. Thus, subjects with stable social adjustment apparently could recover on their own after receiving initial treatment, whereas subjects herbs to curb alcohol cravings with social instability appeared to require frequent AA attendance to achieve abstinence. Overall, however, treatment other than AA did not significantly improve the subjects’ outcomes (i.e., the achievement of stable abstinence) compared with the untreated Core City or College subjects.
- Overall, treatment outcomes are much better than might be expected given the widespread pessimism about outcomes.
- Such measures include public awareness campaigns establishing healthy limits and requirements for beverage labeling (Miller 2004).
- Taken together, these and other findings provide evidence that many of the assumptions underpinning the previous several decades of treatment research were wrong or at least incomplete.
It’s important to note that while herbal supplementation may be beneficial, it should not replace professional help and guidance. Seeking support from healthcare professionals, such as doctors or addiction specialists, is crucial for developing a comprehensive treatment plan. They can provide personalized advice and monitor nutrient levels, ensuring that supplementation is appropriate and safe for individual needs. In the College sample, 26 percent of the men with alcoholic relatives, but only 9 percent of the men without alcoholic relatives, became alcoholics themselves. In the Core City sample, the corresponding numbers were 34 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Researchers reached similar conclusions when investigating the associations of alcoholism with other disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder).
The idea behind this popular hangover remedy is that taking another drink will relieve the effects of the last few you had. The name comes from an old folk tale that says the way to treat a dog bite is to cover the wound with hair taken from the dog that bit you. If you’ve ever had a few too many drinks on a night out, you know what the next morning can bring. The nausea, headache, parched mouth, and fatigue are telltale signs you’ve got a serious hangover. Many of these conclusions, however counterintuitive they may seem, are the result of rigorous research by a dedicated scientific community.