Is Kudzu Root Extract Effective for Bone and Cartilage Turnover and Menopausal Symptoms?
Feb 09, 2023
What Do You Know about Kudzu Root Extract?
Kudzu Root Extract Powder is extracted from the dried root of the leguminous plant Pueraria Mirifica. In addition to a large amount of starch, the main active ingredients are isoflavone derivatives (puerarin, daidzein, daidzin, genistein), which have various functions such as increasing cerebral and coronary artery blood flow, reducing vascular resistance, contracting smooth muscle, lowering blood sugar and antipyretic, etc. It is mainly used for the treatment of alcoholism, vein occlusion, sudden deafness, myocardial Infarction, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases.
Does Kudzu Root Extract Have Protective and Relieving Effects on Bone and Cartilage Turnover and Menopausal Symptoms?
Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years as the ovaries produce significantly less estrogen and progesterone. As a result, women may have menopausal symptoms with negative impacts on life quality and changes in tissue turnover. This directly affects bone turnover and may affect joint health, for example by inducing or worsening the progression of existing conditions like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis; both conditions are more common in postmenopausal women.
Currently, the management of postmenopausal osteopenia and joint disorders is limited to fixed drug treatments for obvious conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Treatment options for menopausal discomfort include topical and systemic hormone therapy, which can also improve bone health. Nevertheless, systemic hormone therapy is linked to various adverse effects, including an increased risk of thromboembolism, breast and possibly ovarian cancer, and increased risk of endometrial cancer. This suggests a significant need for alternatives to manage menopausal symptoms and related bone and joint conditions.
Originating in China, kudzu root has a long history of use in treating menopausal symptoms and conditions affecting menopausal women. Roots may have phytoestrogenic properties due to isoflavone content. Kudzu is classified as a food supplement by the Department of Health and Food Safety of the European Commission. The results suggest that kudzu root extract may have beneficial health effects on bone and cartilage health and may be an excellent natural alternative to existing treatments for menopausal symptoms. Kudzu root extract was well tolerated for the treatment of mild to severe menopausal symptoms in women in short term at all doses and dose frequencies tested.
What are the Effects on Bone and Cartilage Turnover?
Changes in biomarkers of bone resorption and cartilage degradation were observed during treatment with kudzu root extract, the findings showed. At week 4, the urinary CTX-I biomarker measured in 24-hour urine samples decreased in both groups taking 2 capsules 3 times a day and 3 capsules 3 times a day. uCTX-I was decreased to comparable levels in the groups receiving 2 and 3 capsules of kudzu root extract twice daily. Minimal changes in uCTX-I were seen in the group taking 3 capsules once daily. The cartilage degeneration biomarker CTX-II, measured in 24-hour urine samples, experienced the greatest reduction during the study period in the group taking 2 capsules 3 times daily at week 4. Fewer reductions in uCTX-II were observed in the other treatment groups except for the group taking 3 capsules once daily, where no reduction was observed.
What are the Effects on Menopausal Symptoms?
The result of the study shows a statistically substantial reduction from baseline in the total score after 4 weeks of treatment for all dosing regimens except for the group taking 2 capsules of kudzu root extract twice daily.
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