BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Kudzu, a fast-growing vine once used to fight soil erosion and now a major weed in Southeastern United States, may be used as a supplement, researchers say.
J. Michael Wyss of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues in Iowa report root extracts from kudzu show promise as a dietary supplement for metabolic syndrome -- found in people with obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and problems with their body's ability to use insulin. Metabolic syndrome means a high risk for heart attacks, strokes and other diseases.
People in China and Japan long have used kudzu supplements as a health food.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found after two months of taking the extract, rats had lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and insulin levels than a control group not given the extract.
Kudzu root "may provide a dietary supplement that significantly decreases the risk and severity of stroke and cardiovascular disease in at-risk individuals," the researchers say in a statement.
