Kudzu also called Japanese arrowroot is a quick-growing Asian climbing plant with reddish-purple flowers used as a fodder crop and for erosian control. This plant has become a pest in the southeastern US. They csan be invasive and are considered noxious weeds. The plant is edible, but often sprayed with herbicides. Here Evangelyn Rodriguez, NaturalNews.com, reflects on a compound contained in kudzu that can help treat diabetes:

“Diabetes mellitus is one of the most challenging health problems in the world today. It is characterized by abnormally high blood sugar levels caused by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that regulates how the body utilizes or stores glucose from food.

The increasing prevalence and mortality rate of diabetes call for more effective treatments, especially for diabetic complications.

Traditional herbal medicine has a long history of clinical application for the treatment of diabetes. In particular, researchers from the University of Macau and Zunyi Medical University in China singled out kudzu (Pueraria lobata) as a potential natural treatment for diabetes.

In their review, which was published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, they summarized the beneficial effects of puerarin, an active component of kudzu, on diabetes mellitus and its complications. Kudzu is a perennial vine native to eastern and southeast Asia. Its roots and flowers are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to relieve muscle tension and diarrhea, and to treat hypertension and alcohol abuse.

Puerarin, on the other hand, is a natural isoflavone consumed both as a functional food and a medicinal herb in East Asia. According to studies, puerarin has cardio-protective, neuroprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Puerarin can benefit people with diabetes because it can lower blood glucose levels, improve insulin resistance, protect pancreatic islets, inhibit inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and inhibit Maillard reaction and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Maillard reaction, also known as glycation, refers to the chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. It occurs when foods are cooked and gives browned foods their distinct flavor. During glycation, sugars like glucose and fructose bind to proteins or lipids, forming AGEs. AGEs are harmful compounds that can accumulate inside the body and spur the development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and premature aging.

Several studies suggest that puerarin from kudzu can delay and treat diabetic complications such as cardiovascular problems, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy.”

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