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The hair of the vine

Whether the drink of choice is a beer, a martini or a glass of merlot, kudzu - the relentless, hairy vine that smothers forests, buildings and old cars - is turning out to be the perfect mixer.

A group of 20-something drinkers consumed about half as much beer after popping pills for a week made from the plant's extracts, Harvard-affiliated researchers found. The drinkers felt drunk faster because of increases in blood-alcohol levels and didn't experience the urge to drink more, the researchers concluded.

The findings, that an alcohol research expert labeled as a groundbreaking discovery, could translate into a much-needed cure to help binge drinkers cut back or even curb alcoholics' cravings. About one-third of drinkers in the country reported binge drinking during the previous month, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequently defined as drinking five or more beverages at a time for men and four or more for women, binge drinking leads to car accidents, unwanted pregnancies and sexual assaults, experts say.

But little published research has examined kudzu's negative implications - could it prove to be just as problematic by making people feel drunk faster? At increased blood-alcohol levels, wouldn't drinkers be just as likely to drive drunk or have unprotected sex even if they aren't drinking as much beer? While the 14 test subjects experienced no side effects, more research must be done before drinkers start taking kudzu pills for a night out on the town.

Meanwhile, it's good to know kudzu is good for something.

[Last modified May 20, 2005, 01:06:18]