Roots are the focal points of a plant¹s energy. That is why roots have
always occupied a special place in man¹s diet, as well as in his medicine
chest. Popular roots such as ginseng, dock, radish, beets, and carrots are
prized for their concentrated food value and healing power. Kuzu (Pueraria
lobata) root (also spelled kudzu), one of the world¹s largest vegetable
roots, is considered big medicine in Japan and China. Averaging 200 pounds, the kuzu root is the traditional medicine of choice for a host of digestive disorders. It is also the world¹s premier cooking starch.

Kuzu also has a dark side. A sea of green tendrils and leaves that blankets seven million acres of the southeastern United States from May to October, kuzu smothers utility poles, trees, and barns. This prolific vine causes millions of dollars in damage each year. It¹s no wonder that kuzu has been jokingly referred to as ³a vegetable form of cancer² and ³the weed that ate Dixie.² Ironically, while irate farmers and utility companies are spending millions spraying kuzu with toxic chemicals, natural foods stores are selling the starch extracted from the powdered root for $16 a pound!

In the East, however, kuzu, a member of the legume family, has enjoyed an excellent reputation and has been part of the cuisine of China and Japan for more than two thousand years. The starch that makes kuzu an outstanding jelling and thickening agent in cooking is partly responsible for its medicinal action. Some of kuzu¹s complex starch molecules enter the intestines and relieve the discomfort caused by over acidity, bacterial
infection, and‹in the case of diarrhea‹excess water. In many cases of
abdominal aching and intestinal irritation, a bowl of kuzu gruel or pudding
brings quick relief, particularly for children, who like the taste of the
kuzu cream recipe below.

According to Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., director of the Institute forTraditional Medicine and Preventive Health Care in Portland, Oregon, kuzu also contains a very high concentration of flavonoids, which are responsible for its strong medicinal effect on the digestive and circulatory systems. Flavonoids, which occur naturally in kuzu and other plants, are fairly well known as antioxidants. However, they also have the ability to inhibit the contraction of smooth muscle tissue, thereby increasing blood flow and relieving cramping in the intestines.

Compelling Research
The medicinal effects of kuzu¹s flavonoids were proven during numerous
clinical studies in China in the 1970s. The results, published in several
important Chinese medical journals, showed that crude kuzu root preparations or its extracted flavonoids, given as injections or taken orally, reduced high blood pressure, relieved chronic migraine headaches, and eased aches in the shoulders and neck. In China, kuzu flavonoids have successfully treated sudden deafness, which can be caused by restricted circulation. Flavonoids also have been shown to lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of the formulation of blood clots, and protect against heart disease.

Recently, research on kuzu has focused on its use as a treatment for an
entirely different type of problem: alcohol abuse. Fascinated by reports of
Chinese physicians using kuzu to treat chronic alcoholism, Harvard medical
researcher Wing-Ming Keung traveled to China to collect clinical
information. During his visit, Keung interviewed thirteen traditional and
modern physicians and compiled three hundred case histories. ³In all cases,² said Keung, ³the medication (a tea made from kudzu root and other herbs) was considered effective in both controlling and suppressing appetite for alcohol and improving the function of alcohol affected vital organs. No toxic side effects were reported by the Chinese physicians.²
When Keung returned to Harvard, he conducted his own research, which
confirmed what he had learned in China: that kuzu, for reasons still not
understood, can curb the desire for alcohol as well as its ravages on the
body.

Obviously, research on the medicinal value of kuzu will continue, both in
the United States and in Asia, although kuzu¹s capabilities are far more
extensively studied and documented in the East than they are in this
country. For example, key Chinese medical texts describe the properties and uses of tablets made from kuzu root extract for a wide range of both minor and serious illnesses. Although kuzu may not be well known to Western herbalists, it is commonly prescribed by American acupuncturists trained in Oriental herbology, to be used in conjunction with acupuncture treatments. Acupuncturist Mary Cissy Majebe, O.M.D., director of the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic in Asheville, North Carolina, uses teas made from kuzu root and complementary herbs for specific conditions requiring the elimination of accumulated heat (as with head colds, influenza, and muscle stiffness) with ³excellent results.² However, she stresses that similar symptoms do not always indicate the same underlying cause of illness. If you have a condition that you think
would benefit from kuzu or another herbal remedy, talk with a trained
healthcare professional.

Kuzu Remedies
As a remedy, kuzu root is used in two ways: as powdered starch and as whole dried root. Kuzu starch remedies can be used to treat minor indigestion; some experts use it to treat colds and minor aches and pains as well (eating lots of foods made with kuzu starch can have the same effects and is considered good preventive medicine). Teas can be used when a different type of medicine is needed: for chronic headaches, stiff shoulders, colitis, sinus troubles, tonsillitis, respiratory ailments, hangovers, allergies (especially hay fever), bronchial asthma, and skin rashes.

In his book Healing Ourselves (Avon Books, 1973), holistic health
practitioner Naboru Muramoto recommends a drink called kuzu cream (see
recipe) for colds, general body pains, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Kuzu
cream is also recommended for neutralizing stomach acidity and for relaxing tight muscles. When made with the addition of ginger juice and minced umeboshi (salt-pickled plum), the drink is especially potent. The ginger aids digestion and circulation while the salt plum neutralizes lactic acid and eliminates it from the body.

Kuzu cream and other remedies are made using kuzu root starch while
medicinal kuzu teas are usually made using pieces of the whole kuzu root,
which contains more water-soluble medicinal flavonoids, some of which are
lost during natural processing of roots into starch. Kuzu root tea (kakkon)
is found in herbal shops and some natural foods stores and frequently
contains several other medicinal herbs including ginger, licorice, and
cinnamon.

Here is a recipe for making kuzu cream. If you¹re taking it to treat
digestive discomfort, it will be most effective if you drink it about one
hour before a meal.
Note: Serve the cream warm but allow it to cool for one minute after you
prepare it.

STOMACH-SETTLING KUZU CREAM
Serves 1
This recipe makes a thick, pudding-like cream. If you would prefer to make a thinner drink, reduce the amount of kuzu to one rounded teaspoon.
1 1/2 tablespoons kuzu starch
1 umeboshi plum, pitted and minced, or 1 teaspoon umeboshi paste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger juice (finely grate gingerroot and squeeze to extract juice)
1/2-1 teaspoon shoyu (optional)
In a small enamel or nonmetallic saucepan, thoroughly dissolve kuzu starch in 1 cup cold water. Add umeboshi and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, stir constantly until kuzu thickens and becomes translucent. Gently simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add ginger juice and, if desired, shoyu to taste.
Kuzu starch is also a very useful and beneficial thickening agent in all types of cooking.

For several recipes using kuzu starch, please see Cooking with Japanese
Foods, by John and Jan Belleme.

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