The pesky plant may finally have the chance to redeem itself for all its bad deeds: according to a 10-year series of studies done on rats, kudzu extract could be the key to curbing alcohol addiction.
If you’ve spent any time in the South, you probably think of kudzu as one of the environment’s biggest pests. Since the vine was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental plant, it has spread widely—and not on purpose. The Southern states have an ideal climate for hosting kudzu, and it’s spread rampantly through the region, costing more than $500 million each year in lost crops and control costs.
But it seems that the pesky plant may finally have the chance to redeem itself for all its bad deeds: according to a 10-year series of studies done on rats, kudzu extract could be the key to curbing alcohol addiction.
In the studies, rats were introduced to alcohol through sugary cocktail drinks, which gradually grew stronger as the rodents’ tolerance built up. Over time, the rats came to prefer the cocktail drinks to plain water. When the researchers took the alcohol away, the rats would frantically search for it in the special cage where it had previously been placed.
“For them, it was like walking into a bar,” the study’s leader, Ivan Diamond, told the National Geographic.
However, when the rats were fed a synthetic compound based on kudzu extract called CVT-10216, their cravings quickly disappeared, and they seemed to forget about the drinks.
The rats’ success story is no guarantee that the compound will work as well in humans, but clinical trials will soon show whether the treatment can really do the trick. The CVT-10216 compound could still be years away from your pharmacy shelves, but kudzu-based herbal supplements will soon become available, and may be a passable alternative.
Of course, there is no easy cure for alcoholism, and it will take more than a pill or two to treat the addiction—love, support, and counseling are all likely to play a huge part in helping someone with the disorder get back on his feet. But while kudzu may not be a cure-all, it’s finally proving that it’s way more than just a weed.