- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China, Japan and Korea; invasive in the south-eastern USA. Pueraria montana var. lobata
Asia · Herb · № 136
Pueraria montana var. lobata
Herb · Asia
Kudzu
Pueraria montana var. lobata
The root (ge gen) is used in Chinese medicine for fever, stiff neck and thirst. Small studies have looked at kudzu for reducing alcohol use, with mixed results.
Safety notes
May interact with diabetes medicines, blood thinners and hormone-sensitive conditions. Avoid in pregnancy.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Chinese materia medica: Not with cold in the stomach or excessive sweating.
Preparation
The root as decoction; the starch (kuzu) as a thickener in Japanese cooking. No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
In Japan kuzu starch is used in dishes and sweets. In the USA kudzu was planted against erosion in the 1930s and became 'the vine that ate the South'. Ody also describes ge gen as an old Chinese remedy for drunkenness.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Promotes circulation, induces sweating, mildly lowers blood pressure, reduces fever, lowers blood sugar; for colds, diarrhoea, hangovers, angina, headache.
Preparation and amount
Tincture (with huang qin, liquorice and turmeric) 5 ml for diarrhoea from food poisoning; decoction with cinnamon twigs, ginger and liquorice for colds with a stiff neck and headache; 10–20 drops of tincture in hot water for alcohol poisoning; tablets for angina pectoris (30–120 mg a day).
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- pungent, sweet, cool
- Meridians
- spleen, stomach, bladder
Attributed effects
Relaxes the muscles, especially in neck and shoulders, in colds and flu from wind-heat or wind-cold, promotes the production of body fluids in thirst from fever or stomach heat, helps measles that do not come out properly, stops diarrhoea from heat or spleen deficiency and is used for high blood pressure with headache or dizziness.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 5–15 g a day, usually in a decoction. The formula ge gen tang is also used for eczema.
Combinations
- With cinnamon twig, ma huang and white peony for a stiff neck from wind-cold
- With huang lian and huang qin for diarrhoea from heat
Caution: Not with cold in the stomach or excessive sweating.