Chinese Herbalism
Kudzu
Pueraria lobata
Also known as Ge Gen.
Distinguish P. lobata (Ge Gen) from P. thomsonii and P. mirifica Primary traditional use in TCM for exterior wind patterns, thirst, diarrhea Modern research supports liver protection, anti-diabetic, anti-osteoporosis, cardiovascular benefits Raw form promotes eruption, prepared form better for diarrhea
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Liver disease
- Thirst
- Fever from wind-heat/wind-cold
- Angina pectoris
- Heat-type diarrhea
- Diabetes/wasting-thirsting disorder
- Myocardial issues
- Tinnitus
- Paresthesia
- Dizziness
- Incomplete measles rash
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Menopausal symptoms
- Headache
- Hypertension
- Stiff neck/shoulders/upper back
- Dry mouth
- Spleen deficiency diarrhea
- Hangover
- Osteoporosis
- Dysentery
- Alcohol intoxication
- Diarrhea
- Dry cough
- Fever
- Infection
- Mucosal irritation
- Pain
- Sore throat
- Cough
Safety
Pregnancy: Pregnancy Caution
Breastfeeding: Lactation (source flag notSafeInLactation)
The record lists 4 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Decoction: 9-15g/day (Chinese Pharmacopoeia) | 9000-15000 mg | |
| Tincture: 4-12mL/day | 4-12 mL | |
| Tea: 3-9g/day | 3000-9000 mg | |
| Up to | Up to 60g max in acute cases | 60000 mg |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Clinical Notes. Distinguish P. lobata (Ge Gen) from P. thomsonii and P. mirifica Primary traditional use in TCM for exterior wind patterns, thirst, diarrhea Modern research supports liver protection, anti-diabetic, anti-osteoporosis, cardiovascular benefits Raw form promotes eruption, prepared form better for diarrhea
relieves-menopausal-symptoms. Kudzu (including Pueraria mirifica) is used for menopausal complaints; a phase II study in perimenopausal women given 50 or 100 mg/day for six months showed progressive reductions in the modified Greene climacteric score for hot flushes and night sweats, and a separate trial found kudzu extract improved vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women.
contains-characteristic-constituents. The principal bioactive constituents of kudzu root are isoflavones, chiefly puerarin (the C8-glucoside of daidzein), together with daidzin, daidzein, and genistin, plus triterpenoids and polysaccharides; puerarin is metabolized to daidzein by intestinal bacteria.
reduces-alcohol-intake. Kudzu root has been used for over a thousand years for alcohol-related problems, and its constituents daidzin and daidzein suppress ethanol intake in animal models; daidzin is a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of mitochondrial acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2), while puerarin reduces ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring rats and normalizes alcohol-related changes in GABA-A receptor expression.
In formulas
Kudzu stands in 92 documented formulas in the library, among them huo rén công chi tāng, guì zhi jia gé gẽn tāng, gé gên tāng, ge gên lià bàn xia tāng, ging bí tāng, xìng sù yìn.
Often paired with
Licorice rootGlycyrrhiza glabra
Chinese skullcapScutellaria baicalensis
White PeonyPaeonia lactiflora
GingerZingiber officinale
GinsengPanax ginseng
Zhi MuAnemarrhena asphodeloidesNearby on the shelf
KoussoBrayera anthelmintica
KoussoCusso
KratomMitragyna speciosa
Ku ShenSophora flavescens
KurchiHolarrhena antidysenterica
KutkiPicrorhiza kurroa
Labrador TeaRhododendron groenlandicum
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