Kudzu: A Macrobiotic That Could Benefit Your Mind and Body

Kudzu. What is it and why do people eat it? We explain everything we know about this food supplement that's so popular in various parts of the world.

Kudzu is a macrobiotic food extracted from a plant native to the Asian continent. It’s extremely popular in Japan and has gradually spread to other cultures and countries. It tends to be used as a dietary supplement since it’s believed that its consumption could generate certain health benefits.

However, you should always bear in mind that any kinds of dietary supplements are always only the icing on the cake. Therefore, you must ensure you have a healthy overall eating pattern. In this way, you’ll avoid a deficit of any of the essential nutrients you need for a good overall state of health. Otherwise, you could experience inefficiencies in the functioning of your body’s organs.

Kudzu

Kudzu is a food obtained from the Pueraria Lobata plant, a vegetable of the legume family. It’s known as gé gén in traditional Chinese medicine and is considered one of the 50 essential herbs necessary to ensure good health.

The root is normally consumed in powder form, dissolved in liquid. It’s also possible to add it as an ingredient to foods such as soups and sauces. It could even be mixed with coffee or tea. In addition, it’s marketed in capsule form.

Kudzu benefits

Next, we talk about the main benefits of kudzu consumption and the opinion of the science world on this particular plant. However, remember that you should only ever include this product in the context of a well-balanced diet.

Helps prevent disease

According to a study published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, kudzu contains a large number of phytochemical compounds. These are elements that could help prevent the development of certain complex illnesses. They’re capable of neutralizing the formation of free radicals and their subsequent accumulation in the body. This is considered to be beneficial for health.

Kudzu contains many of the flavonoids also present in other foods of plant origin. If you practice sport it can be useful, since activity helps it modulate the inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms inside your body.

Could fight headaches

In reality, evidence in this regard is scarce. Nevertheless, traditional Chinese medicine maintains that the intake of kudzu could prevent and combat headaches. However, the truth is that the pathophysiology of migraines and similar problems continue to raise many questions today. For this reason, it’s not yet been possible to corroborate this theory.

Improves intestinal transit

Kudzu can help fight problems like diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn. It contains a certain amount of insoluble fiber, in addition to prebiotic compounds. These have been shown to help increase the density of the bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract. This is also related to a lower incidence of problems associated with the central nervous system.

It could fight tiredness

In China, kudzu has a reputation as a revitalizing element. It’s believed that it could generate an effect similar to that of royal jelly. In fact, it’s used to combat physical weakness and fatigue. However, these kinds of symptoms could be caused by a deficit of essential nutrients. Therefore, if a higher supply of these nutrients isn’t obtained, the problem won’t be solved by kudzu alone.

Kudzu, a food that could have many properties

As you can see, the kudzu root could have a series of positive effects on your overall state of health. Nevertheless, its effects haven’t yet been proven. In fact, few studies have been conducted on this root to date and more research would be necessary to clear up certain doubts. Furthermore, it’s not clear if there are any risks derived from its intake.

Finally, we should mention that it’s recommended to avoid the consumption of kudzu during pregnancy and lactation. This is because it’s not known how it could affect the fetus through the placenta.