“Pueraria mirifica (Kudzu) has a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism in postmenopausal women which may result from the activation of gene transcription through selective binding of phytoestrogens to ERalpha and ERbeta.”

To read the author’s abstract of the article click on the link to the author’s title of the article above.

NOTE: Read a literature review of endometriosis.

PMID: 19060449.

Summary #441.

The following is a general article on Kudzu (Pueraria mirifica.)

Kudzu (Nothing is All Good; Nothing is All Bad.)

Kudzu (Pueraria Montana or lobata,) an Asian herb, was brought to the US for medicine and as food for animals. It is a traditional medicine for alcohol abuse. Kudzu grows so well in the US that the vines grow into and shade the native trees, endangering the forests.

Kudzu is a legume which fixes nitrogen in the soil. The soil around kudzu emits nitric oxide (NO.) Kudzu increases soil acidity, mobilizes aluminum and increases nitrogen runoff into the water systems. The NO adds to ozone formation, canceling the progress made in reducing ozone. Kudzu will spread with global warming.

“Now, for the other side of the story:” Kudzu has many health benefits. It is our best source of puerarin, an isoflavone which reduces the conversion of testosterone to estrogen by blocking the aromatase enzyme. Kudzu relieves endometriosis by reducing excess estrogen.

Synthetic aromatase inhibitors treat breast cancer. Breast cancer can become resistant to the drug forms of aromatase inhibitor. Pueraria is an herbal aromatase inhibitor which works against estrogen-dependent cancer.

Kudzu is a strong antioxidant. Oxidation of tissues results from diabetes. Mice treated with puerarin had reduced tissue oxidation after three weeks compared to those not treated.

Kudzu has little toxicity. Pueraria mirifica (Thai kudzu) and kudzu cause no cancerous cell changes. They, actually, reduce the tendency of cells to become cancerous. Thai kudzu has strong estrogen activity. It is an estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in menopause and can treat breast cancer.

An isoflavone called tectoridin in Pueraria montana is found in the flowers. It reduces the accumulation of fat in liver cells with or without excessive alcohol use. ‘Fatty liver’ progresses to cirrhosis if untreated. Tectoridin can totally reverse fatty liver.

Kudzu improves blood glucose, insulin and cholesterol levels and blood pressures in rats. Puerarin reverses hearing loss seen in aging rats. Puerarin will likely benefit human hearing loss. Puerarin protects the damaged dopamine-producing brain cells in Parkinsonism. Puerarin blocks xanthine oxidase enzyme, the enzyme which produces the uric acid excess in gout.