Kudzu Root

I have to add information about Kudzu. I have been using kudzu root starch for years. I buy it at the natural foods store, it is called Kudzu Root Powder. I have lactose intolerance and when I unknowingly eat dairy, all I have to do is mix up a batch of Kudzu and it settles my stomach quite well. I have the recipe if anyone wants it.

Offered by Leila.

Kudzu is both edible and can be used medicinally. In the book The Green Pharmacy states the following:

Kudzu (Pueraria Lobata). Chinese clinical studies attest to the anti-angina benefits of Kudzu. In one study, 71 people took 10 to 15 grams of a root extract a day for 4 to 22 weeks. During this time, 29 were much improved, 20 showed some improvement, and 22 showed little or no improvement. Kudzu extracts dilate coronary arteries, increasing blood flow and decreasing blood pressure. They also help stabilize heart rhythm. Kudzu root preparations have produced no adverse effects in human trials.

Kudzu also contains a chemical (puerarin) that has decreased blood pressure by 15 percent in laboratory animals. With 100 times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E, puerarin also helps prevent heart disease and cancer. I think there is also a use for hangover. I think that Kudzu capsules can already be bought. In the South, we all just about hate Kudzu, but we have learned to live with it and you can kill it, but it is hard to do.

Offered by Terry.