Scientists discover £20-a-month plant pill that can stop alcohol cravings: 'It turns off the reward feeling'

A plant supplement costing around £20 for a month's supply could banish alcohol cravings in binge drinkers – helping them cut back, a study suggests.Researchers found that people with alcoholism who took an extract of the East Asian plant kudzu drank a third less frequently than those given a placebo.They were also less likely to drink overall throughout the three-month trial.Experts say the results are 'exciting' and could open the door to a new way of curbing heavy drinking. Around one in six UK adults are classed as binge drinkers, which the NHS describes as drinking 'heavily over a short space of time'.That means more than eight units – around three pints – in one session for men, or more than six units for women, which is around two large glasses of wine.Binge drinking has been found to raise the risk of cancer and heart disease, as well as the chance of injury due to large amounts of alcohol being in the bloodstream.It is linked to around 10,000 deaths a year in the UK. Researchers found that people with alcoholism who took an extract of the East Asian plant kudzu had a third fewer heavy-drinking days than those given a placebo. The product pictured is an example of a kudzu extract and was not used in the study 'Binge drinking is incredibly common, but we don't have many tools to offer people who want to cut back,' said Glenn Milo Santos, a professor at University of California San Francisco and the study's lead author.'Our goal is to expand that toolkit. What's exciting about this approach is that people can use it when they know they may be at risk of heavy drinking, rather than taking a medication every day.'The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, involved 120 adults with alcohol use disorder, also known as alcoholism, who binge drank at least once a week.Because it was carried out in the US, binge drinking was defined differently from in the UK.Men were classed as binge drinkers if they consumed five or more drinks on one occasion, while for women it was four or more.Half of the volunteers were given kudzu extract pills and half were given a dummy pill. All participants also had weekly counselling.Those in the kudzu group took a 2,000mg dose whenever they felt heavy drinking urges or strong alcohol cravings, rather than taking it every day.On average, they used the supplement 32 times over the trial, which is around 2.7 doses a week.Kudzu is a plant native to East Asia that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Kudzu is a plant native to East Asia that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuriesIt contains compounds called isoflavones, including puerarin, daidzin and daidzein, which scientists believe may suppress signals sent by hormones in the brain that increase the desire to drink. Kudzu extract supplements can be bought online for around £20 for a month's supply of 30 capsules. Cheaper kudzu root pills, which are generally less concentrated, are also available from about £5 a bottle for 60 tablets containing 500mg each. At that price, a 2,000mg dose – the amount used in the study – would cost about 35p. However, the researchers stressed that consumers should not expect the same results from shop-bought products. They used a specially prepared extract containing consistent amounts of the plant's compounds, while shop-bought supplements can vary in strength and ingredients. By the end of the trial, the average number of binge-drinking days a week among those taking kudzu had fallen from 2.15 to 1.42, a drop of around a third.In comparison, those in the placebo group fell only from 2.15 to 2.06. Those taking kudzu also reported drinking in just over half of the weeks, around 58 per cent, compared with 88 per cent when they started.This dropped to just 81 per cent in the placebo group.Many users have taken to online forums to sing the pill's praises, with some hailing the supplement a 'miracle substance'. Commenting on the social media forum Reddit, one user wrote that they'd been taking it for six weeks and now have no desire to have alcohol.'It reduces cravings and also dampens the buzz/euphoria, which is the only reason I continue to drink,' wrote another.While another commenter posted: 'Since taking it three days ago, I've had one beer each night. I also drink a lot slower now (it takes so long that my beer actually gets warm half-way through). I used to drink 8-15 drinks per day, so it has reduced my intake rapidly.'Others said the pill 'disconnects the addicted feeling I get when I start drinking', 'almost like it turns off the dopamine reward for the alcohol'.'When I take it, I don't need to keep drinking,' one wrote.'My drink just sits there and I'm enjoying my life, often times forgetting I even poured myself a drink. I don't crave it the same way.'In the study, the supplement was well tolerated, with no increase in side effects compared with the placebo group and no serious reactions linked to the treatment.However, experts say people should still be cautious before taking herbal supplements. One study found high doses of kudzu extract caused signs of liver toxicity in mice, although it is unclear whether the same effects occur in humans. Kudzu may also interact with some medications and could trigger allergic reactions.Anyone considering herbal supplements should consult a healthcare professional.Furthermore, the scientists behind the new study say larger studies are now needed.