Used as a decoction, extract and tincture.

Kudzu is a very versatie herb. Prized in Asian countries as a nutritious table green, it can also be made into delicious jams and jellies.

Kudzu shoots are used by nursing mothers as a lactagogue.

Kudzu is regarded as a sedative in traditional Chinese medicine, useful for symptoms of hypertension. Kudzu extracts have also been shown to lower blood sugar and blood pressure. The 1985 Chinese Pharmacopoeia recommends 9–15 grams of kudzu root per day for angine pectoris.

The roots have been shown to contain more estrogenic isoflavones, daidzein, and genistein than soybeans. Genistein may prevent development of tumors. Daidzein has been shown to reduce blood pressure and venous obstruction.

The root is also traditionally used in China for headaches, diarrhea, dysentery, intestinal obstruction, and stomach flu. The root starch is official in the Japanese pharmacopoeia for diarrhea.

In one test, by Brooks and Somerville of Marshall University Dept. of Biology, the yeast Candida albicans, and the bacteria Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Vibrio fischeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and Shigella dysenteriae had their growth inhibited by extracts of Kudzu. This helps to explain why, traditionally, kudzu decoction is used as a gargle for sore throat.

A kudzu root extract was shown to have 100 times the antioxidant activity of Vitamin E.

Kudzu is traditionally regarded as hepatoprotective. Kudzu extracts have been found to stimulate regeneration of liver tissue while protecting against liver toxins.

Also traditionally regarded as a treatment for alcoholism, in that it seems to lessen the desire for alcohol, There is some modern clinical verification for this (see below), but the jury is still out.

http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb113.htm:

Observational Studies/Case Reports

Kudzu extract shows potential for moderating alcohol abuse. anon 1994

Traditional and Folk Use

Pueraria lobata (Ge-gen), which contains an isoflavonoid glycoside with hypotensive effects, with excellent clinical results in the treatment of hypertension; an example of extensive survey of Chinese medicine Qicheng 1980

'Sobering Effects from the Lowly Kudzu' by Angela Spivey at The University of North Carolina

The best way to decoct Pueraria lobata is to cut the root into slices of 0.4-0.7 cm, with water 12-15 times the weight of the root and decoct 30 minutes. It makes little difference whether the root is soaked or not [Article in Chinese] Yang 1989

Pharmacodynamics

Nine saponins from the root protect against immunological liver injury in rat hepatocytes. Activity is reduced by a hydroxy group at C-29 and enhanced when at C-21 Arao 1998

Crude kudzu saponin at 90 mcg/ml inhibited antiserum induced elevation of ALT in hepatocytes; better than glycyrrhizin Arao 1997

Puerarin (0.01-0.1 mM) or propranolol (0.1-1 microM) inhibited isoproterenol-induced relaxation of smooth muscle in a concentration dependent manner indicating mechanism is via beta-adrenoreceptor antagonism [Article in Chinese] Wang 1994

Pueraria glycoside-1 (isoflavonoid) and mangiferin rapidly scavenged DPPH radical and lipid peroxidation while wogonin just inhibited lipid peroxidation Sato 1992

Pueraria thunbergiana flower was among the best with wormicidal activity out of 206 plants tested Rhee 1981

Study of beta-adrenergic receptor blocking effect of extract of root Pueraria pseudo-hirsuta (author's transl) [Article in Chinese] Lu 1980

Crude extract of kudzu root suppresses free-choice ethanol intake of ethanol-preferring hamsters. The isoflavones, daidzin and daidzein, account for this effect; a review 1998--Phytochemistry 1998 Feb;47(4):499-506

Alcohol dependence treatment US Patent 5,783,189