Just wondering what the effect was......just a reduction in desire for alcohol, or other effects.
Has anyone treated themselves successfully for alcoholism with Chinese herbs Kudzu, Radix and flos pueriae?
Sorry but this really is not going to do anything useful to you.
In the few weeks I have been answering 'Health Answers' I have had my eyes really opened. I had no idea that such a high percentage of the population are so naive as to believe in the myths, potty patent medicines,illegal drugs,illegally purchased prescription only drugs, charlatans and just plain crooks, purporting or pretending that they can fix them.
Go to your GP and get him to refer you to the local Community Addiction Team.
Reply:Hi,
The first thing is do you have diabetes? And if you do what type? I've been doing alot of research about traditional medicines in China and India for my job (I'm a botanist) and while I've not heared of these herbs specifically I can tell you what I've read so far about traditional medicines.
Despite what Dr F says above, many herbal remedies seem to be very effective, at least as much as western medicine (Dr F - I was sceptical too before I started this work) - they may not all have documented clinical trials, but they have been tried and tested for at least 3000 years, which is a lot better than what we've got! Also, many of our medicines are based on traditional medicines.
However, there are major problems with them and you need to be very carefull.
1) You can't be sure of the quality - they may not have been prepaired correctly. I've read about people dying of things like lead and murcury poisoning from traditional medicines because too much of the metal has been used without prepairing it properly.
2) As a botanist, this is one of the things that I'm interested in - most of the plants are collected from the wild as they are slow growing and difficult to cultivate - plant collection is big business; it's common for plant collectors to substitute plants and label them the same - if a plant is unavailable they often sell common herbs and lie! You can't be totally sure that the herb is what you think it is.
3) People often say that herbal medicines are without side effects - this is nonesence! Herbal drugs are still drugs plain and simple and there is as much chance of getting side effects from them as there is from western medicines - just because they are natural doesn't make them safe!
4) This is becoming a big problem in India as western medicine is becoming more common - drug interactions can occur! Always consult an expert before taking herbal drugs because they can interact with each other, but an even bigger problem is that interactions can occur between them and western medicines - they may even have the same active ingredient - potentially leading to overdose! This is becoming pretty common because people often don't tell their dr that they are using herbal medicines. Most haven't been tested for interactions either so it can be difficult to find out what the risk is. This is why I asked about diabetes? Esp. if you have type 2 and are taking tablets for it - herbs may interact with the action of the tablets, but they can also affect things like your metabolism, which can affect your blood sugars. I read about someone in India who took an amalaki preparation and had a severe hypo and died from it! Unless you know a lot about adjusting your dose of insulin and don't mind doing a lot of blood tests (eg. if you're type 1 and carb count, have done dafne or use a pump) I'd stay well away.
I'm not saying don't use herbal medicines, because as I said they do often work really well, but you need to be aware of the risks and think them through - they are not v different from western medicines except that side effects etc. have not been assessed for them. Alcoholism is a serious condition (esp. if you have diabetes too) so you are prob better going to your dr about it instead of holding out to see if the herbs work well or not.
I hope some of that helps and you can understand the pros and cons of using the medicines. Good luck - hope you get well soon xx
Reply:if your really trying even chinese remedies then ask yourself i'am an alcoholic i will try anything to recover then make an appointment with your doctor for advise paying for obscure remedies suggests you will try any remedy except facing up to your problem get help get better thats the remedy and its free
Reply:I hear Kudzu is very successful for this type of treatment. Don't make the mistake of trying to grow it. It may be illegal to try to grow this plant as it's so invasive. It kills trees, takes over yards and is impossible to get rid of.
Here's a link for changing your lifestyle: http://www.mywayout.org/
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Is it illegal to smoke kudzu?
It's legal. You can smoke leaves, vines, roots, flowers, grass (marijuana isn't legal, tho), peaches, apples, corn, green beans, or whatever. See, the only thing is that the snow makes it cold. The senator stopped by again and my cat ran away today. I do love the twinkle lights. Aren't stars pretty?
Is it illegal to smoke kudzu?
It sure is !
Reply:Yes and No.
But this is the wrong question. Asking about whether this or that is illegal and trying to do what's legal and avoid what's not is a cat and mouse game that the government is playing with you. In a police state like ours, everything and anything is both legal and illegal.
If you did what Ken Lay or Andrew Fastow did would you be in jail? Of course. But they are not. (Ken killed himnself but wouldn't be anyway). Fastow stole millions and millions of dollars, and he was given 18 months, and it didn't start until after his wife's 14 months (she did it too) was up. The cops, prosecutors, courts, and even the US supreme court went out of their way to help this career criminal family avoid jail time and even inconvenience.
Meanwhile, a Black guy was charged with felony assault because he he stole a donut (misdemeanor) and ran away and threw it up in the air. When the donut came down, it hit somebody. Felony assault. The guy got more time than Fastow and his wife put together--because he had stolen food before, and he couldn't work because nobody would hire somebody who steals food. But like Fastow, if you steal (or lose) millions of dollars, you are highly marketable.
So, yes, smoking kudzu is illegal. But only for some people.
Reply:Kudzu? I've heard of banana peels, periwinkles, and cane toads (who was the first person to lick a toad to see what would happen?). I think anyone that wants to eat, smoke or inject kudzu should be allowed to do so. And may I add, good luck on that.
Reply:Smoke all you want and don't worry about it
Reply:I can't imagine it would be illegal.. however, I can't figure out why you'd WANT to smoke it. It won't get you high or anything.
Is it illegal to smoke kudzu?
It sure is !
Reply:Yes and No.
But this is the wrong question. Asking about whether this or that is illegal and trying to do what's legal and avoid what's not is a cat and mouse game that the government is playing with you. In a police state like ours, everything and anything is both legal and illegal.
If you did what Ken Lay or Andrew Fastow did would you be in jail? Of course. But they are not. (Ken killed himnself but wouldn't be anyway). Fastow stole millions and millions of dollars, and he was given 18 months, and it didn't start until after his wife's 14 months (she did it too) was up. The cops, prosecutors, courts, and even the US supreme court went out of their way to help this career criminal family avoid jail time and even inconvenience.
Meanwhile, a Black guy was charged with felony assault because he he stole a donut (misdemeanor) and ran away and threw it up in the air. When the donut came down, it hit somebody. Felony assault. The guy got more time than Fastow and his wife put together--because he had stolen food before, and he couldn't work because nobody would hire somebody who steals food. But like Fastow, if you steal (or lose) millions of dollars, you are highly marketable.
So, yes, smoking kudzu is illegal. But only for some people.
Reply:Kudzu? I've heard of banana peels, periwinkles, and cane toads (who was the first person to lick a toad to see what would happen?). I think anyone that wants to eat, smoke or inject kudzu should be allowed to do so. And may I add, good luck on that.
Reply:Smoke all you want and don't worry about it
Reply:I can't imagine it would be illegal.. however, I can't figure out why you'd WANT to smoke it. It won't get you high or anything.
I need Kudzu information help...(looking for best answer)?
Subject of Plant: Kudzu, a vine
(i need help with this question please)
(please don't copy and paste HUGE HUGE information from other websites. thank you)
Effects on ecosystems:
What changes have been observed in the ecosystem since the species' introduction? How have other organisms been affected?
I need Kudzu information help...(looking for best answer)?
"Kudzu was introduced from Japan into the United States in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where it was promoted as a forage crop and an ornamental plant. From 1935 to the early 1950s the Soil Conservation Service encouraged farmers in the South to plant kudzu to reduce soil erosion, and the Civilian Conservation Corps planted it widely for many years. Kudzu was recognized as a pest weed by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1953, and was removed from its list of permissible cover plants.
Kudzu is now common throughout most of the southeastern United States, and has been found as far north as Pennsylvania, and as far south as Key West, Florida. It has also been found growing (rather inexplicably) in Clackamas County, Oregon in 2000 [15]. In all, kudzu infests 20,000 to 30,000 square kilometres of land in the United States and costs around $500 million annually in lost cropland and control costs. It cannot tolerate extremely low freezing temperatures that bring the frost line down through its entire root system; however it does require some cold weather (a solid frost or freeze annually).
Kudzu is also becoming a problem in northeastern Australia.
Kudzu vines can make walking across an area nearly impossible, as it takes over all horizontal and vertical surfaces, both natural and artificial. Its dense growth obstructs all views and movement into the area. It kills or degrades other plants by smothering them under a solid blanket of leaves, by girdling woody stems and tree trunks, and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through its weight."
Vagabond Inn Merced
(i need help with this question please)
(please don't copy and paste HUGE HUGE information from other websites. thank you)
Effects on ecosystems:
What changes have been observed in the ecosystem since the species' introduction? How have other organisms been affected?
I need Kudzu information help...(looking for best answer)?
"Kudzu was introduced from Japan into the United States in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where it was promoted as a forage crop and an ornamental plant. From 1935 to the early 1950s the Soil Conservation Service encouraged farmers in the South to plant kudzu to reduce soil erosion, and the Civilian Conservation Corps planted it widely for many years. Kudzu was recognized as a pest weed by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1953, and was removed from its list of permissible cover plants.
Kudzu is now common throughout most of the southeastern United States, and has been found as far north as Pennsylvania, and as far south as Key West, Florida. It has also been found growing (rather inexplicably) in Clackamas County, Oregon in 2000 [15]. In all, kudzu infests 20,000 to 30,000 square kilometres of land in the United States and costs around $500 million annually in lost cropland and control costs. It cannot tolerate extremely low freezing temperatures that bring the frost line down through its entire root system; however it does require some cold weather (a solid frost or freeze annually).
Kudzu is also becoming a problem in northeastern Australia.
Kudzu vines can make walking across an area nearly impossible, as it takes over all horizontal and vertical surfaces, both natural and artificial. Its dense growth obstructs all views and movement into the area. It kills or degrades other plants by smothering them under a solid blanket of leaves, by girdling woody stems and tree trunks, and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through its weight."
Vagabond Inn Merced
What are the competitors of the kudzu plant?
reasons for the success of the plant
What are the competitors of the kudzu plant?
Nothing ! It destroys everything
Reply:It doesn't really have any competition or predators, the only thing that keeps it under control in its native Japan is the winter cold. In southern North America, it never gets cold enough and the stuff just spreads year round.
Reply:When a species is transported far from where it evolved, usually one of 2 things happen: it either dies off or else it spreads like wildfire. If the climate, rainfall %26amp; food supply are enough %26amp; the right kind - it spreads, without the usual limit of diseases or predators (or predatory insects) that have evolved along with the species in its home turf.
The list of invasive species in the US is long %26amp; troublesome: gypsy moth, asian bark beatle, bullfrog, water lily, lamprey, zebra mussel, africanized honeybee, fire ant - just to get you started, there are more.
;-)
Reply:Kudzu-eating psychedelic toads are a big problem for kudzu lovers. Eat the toads to protect your kudzu. Have a nice trip.
Reply:There is very little things that eat the plant thus it got out of hand here in the states.
Reply:Natural Enemies Of Kudzu:
A systematic survey for kudzu biocontrol agents was initiated in May 1999. At each of the four survey sites, five vines were chosen for sampling. Insect feeding, mating, and egg laying behavior was observed at 10-day intervals from May through November. Representative insects, and herbarium specimens of their feeding damage were collected and preserved. Defoliation was visually estimated in five 1 ft2 areas on each vine. The main vine and branches were monitored for feeding damage and gall formation.
The insects that fed on kudzu are still being identified. So far, seven out of 25 species (Deporaus sp., Alcidodes trifidus [Pasco], Sagra femorata [Drury], Aristobia hispida [Saunders], Paraleprodera diophthalma [Pascoe], Anomala corpulenta [Motschulsky], and Epicauta chinensis [Castelnau]) are known to feed on other crops (often beans), and therefore, have been dropped from consideration. Leaf-feeding beetles and sawflies that have no other known hosts have been identified. Two kinds of weevils were found to attack the succulent stems, and eight kinds of large beetles (Cerambycidae, Buprestidae, Scarabidae) lay eggs and develop as larvae in the main vines or roots.
Six fungal pathogens have been identified by collaborators at South China Agricultural University (Jiang et al.., 2000). One Phycomycete (Synchytrium puerariae P. Henning) Miyabe (Chytridiaceae) may hold some potential as a biological control agent. This pathogen has been reported on several Pueraria species from Japan, New Guinea, Java, the Phillipines, India, China, and California (specimen at National Fungus Collection, Beltsville, Marlyand (Karling, 1964), but further investigations are necessary to confirm its host specificity.
Host Range Tests and Results
Preliminary host range testing with soybean and peanut were begun in the summer of 2000. As far as possible, initial host testing will be conducted in China, where quarantine facilities are not required for these native insects. In the later screening stages, extensive testing of American plants and crops will be conducted in U.S. quarantine facilities to ensure host specificity before any insect can be released.
Biological Control Using Pathogens Native to the United States
Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. This bacterium is the causal agent of “halo blight” of bean and kudzu, causing a small necrotic leafspot surrounded by a bright halo of chlorotic tissue. Zidak and Backman (1996) reported that the bacterium could kill eight- to ten-week-old kudzu seedlings, but produced few, if any, secondary infections under fairly dry conditions in the field.
Myrothecium verrucaria (Albertini and Schwein.) Ditmar: Fr. (Moniliales). This fungus has a fairly broad host range. Yang and Jong (1995) reported good control of leafy spurge, and eight other Euphorbia species using isolates of this fungus. Walker and Tilley found that an isolate from sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia [L.] Irwin and Barneby) affected a number of important crops, ornamentals, and weeds, representing six different families. Sprays directed to soybean stems and lower leaves did not reduce soybean dry weight (Walker and Tilley, 1997). It was patented for sicklepod biocontrol, and, although originally isolated from sicklepod, it is even more effective against kudzu. Two years of testing in Mississippi demonstrated that the fungus attacks leaves and stems, with greater activity at 25 to 40°C than at 10 to 20°C. Field tests demonstrated that 95 to 100% control could be achieved within 14 days of inoculation by girdling runner stems with this fungus, which produces asexual spores in a sporodochium, with a matrix suggesting dispersal by splashing rain. In inoculation studies, a surfactant was needed for good infection (Boyette, 2000). A patent for kudzu control has been applied for.
Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc. in Penz. (Sphaeriales). A strain of this widely-distributed pathogen was isolated from kudzu in Houston County, Georgia, and its virulence was increased by repeated selection for growth on Czapek Dox medium amended with kudzu extract. Field inoculations showed a synergistic effect was achieved by inoculations of spores together with 20% of the recommended rate of dicamba. The fungus attacks both leaves and vines, and produces asexual spores in a pycnidium (Farris and Reilly, 2000).
Reasons for Success:
Kudzu has proved to be a major problem for the United States. Since the vine grows so rapidly, it is able to quickly encroach on and choke out natural vegetation. When kudzu grows into a forest, it blankets the floor with its vines and runners and prevents the growth of any new trees (Blaustein, 2001). It also destroys the older trees by covering them and blocking out the light they need to survive. Since kudzu is also very heavy, it is able to pull down structures that it is climbing on. This destruction of natural vegetation is profoundly disturbing, mostly because of kudzu's ability to choke out all of its competitors. This means that in a few years, kudzu will be one of the only, if not the only plant species in the area, dramatically reducing the biodiversity. This also means that indigenous animals may lose a great proportion of their natural food source.
Kudzu also poses a threat to cultivated plants. It takes over farm fields and destroys many valuable crop plants. Ironically enough, the plant that was once dubbed the "agricultural wonder" is now the agricultural curse. It was once actively planted to try and save the very farmlands that it is now so busy destroying.
Wildlife and agriculture are not the only things that suffer from the kudzu invasion, many aspects of industry have also been negatively affected. Kudzu encroachs upon train tracks and when the train runs over it, it collects slippery slime from the crushed plants. The result of this is slipping and sometimes even derailment, making it very unsafe for any train to run on tracks that are not cleared regularly. In order to do this, companies that own railroads have to allocate a certain amount of money per year to deal with the kudzu problem (Blaustein, 2001).
The Kudzu vine has also exhibited a disturbing tendency to climb. Not only does it cover trees, but it also goes for utility poles. Once the vine has gone all the way to the top of the pole, it begins to spread out across the lines, slowly weighing them down. Eventually, the lines snap and must be repaired. Kudzu has been known to climb up poles as high as eighty feet and it even destroys high tension wires and high voltage transformers (Watson, 1989). This means that utility companies, like railroad companies, must devote considerable amounts of money and manpower to periodically cleaning away kudzu. If the companies fall behind, the kudzu can quickly snap lines and interrupt power of phone service to many people. All said, power companies in the South devote around $1.5 million a year to controlling kudzu infestations (Blaustein, 2001).
Other types of man made structures are also at risk. Kudzu often covers and pulls down abandoned houses, or sometimes even inhabited houses. This is a huge cause for concern to the people who live in these houses. One elderly woman wrote a letter to Dr. James Miller who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is an expert on kudzu. She recounted how her property was being taken over by the vine and how she and her husband had worked for many years to hold it back, but that he had recently died. She felt that she was unable to fend off the voracious kudzu and confessed to having constant nightmares that involved being attacked and covered by kudzu (Blaustein, 2001). Obviously, kudzu and the property damage that it causes are great sources of stress for many people.
In the short time that it has been on this continent, kudzu has had an enormous impact on culture, especially Southern culture. Southerners have a love/hate relationship with the vine. In recent years, it has become more and more obvious that kudzu is here to stay and in spite of the problems that it causes, people have responded with a mixture of reconciliation and enthusiasm. Kudzu can prove to be a very useful plant, not only is it edible to both humans and livestock, but its vines can be twisted into wreaths or baskets, and the leaves can be used for shade. Southerners relationship with kudzu is perhaps best evidenced by the multitude of names into which the plant is incorporated. Most of these are the names of bands or musical groups such as "The Kudzu Kings", "The Kudzu Krooners", or "The Kudzu Quartet" (Blaustein, 2001). There are also several publications that use the name kudzu such as The Kudzu Gazette, not to mention Kudzu the comic strip.
Many uses have been found for the plant. Soup can be made from its leaves and the starch in its roots can be extracted and used in cooking. The Japanese have used it for centuries for this purpose. It may also have some useful medicinal powers, it has been used in China as a treatment for a variety of ills. The fibers can also be made into paper, or woven into cloth (Mitich, 2000). Diane Hoots and Anita Baldwin co-authors of the book Kudzu: The Vine to Love or Hate have come up with many novel uses for the plant.
Reply:all
What are the competitors of the kudzu plant?
Nothing ! It destroys everything
Reply:It doesn't really have any competition or predators, the only thing that keeps it under control in its native Japan is the winter cold. In southern North America, it never gets cold enough and the stuff just spreads year round.
Reply:When a species is transported far from where it evolved, usually one of 2 things happen: it either dies off or else it spreads like wildfire. If the climate, rainfall %26amp; food supply are enough %26amp; the right kind - it spreads, without the usual limit of diseases or predators (or predatory insects) that have evolved along with the species in its home turf.
The list of invasive species in the US is long %26amp; troublesome: gypsy moth, asian bark beatle, bullfrog, water lily, lamprey, zebra mussel, africanized honeybee, fire ant - just to get you started, there are more.
;-)
Reply:Kudzu-eating psychedelic toads are a big problem for kudzu lovers. Eat the toads to protect your kudzu. Have a nice trip.
Reply:There is very little things that eat the plant thus it got out of hand here in the states.
Reply:Natural Enemies Of Kudzu:
A systematic survey for kudzu biocontrol agents was initiated in May 1999. At each of the four survey sites, five vines were chosen for sampling. Insect feeding, mating, and egg laying behavior was observed at 10-day intervals from May through November. Representative insects, and herbarium specimens of their feeding damage were collected and preserved. Defoliation was visually estimated in five 1 ft2 areas on each vine. The main vine and branches were monitored for feeding damage and gall formation.
The insects that fed on kudzu are still being identified. So far, seven out of 25 species (Deporaus sp., Alcidodes trifidus [Pasco], Sagra femorata [Drury], Aristobia hispida [Saunders], Paraleprodera diophthalma [Pascoe], Anomala corpulenta [Motschulsky], and Epicauta chinensis [Castelnau]) are known to feed on other crops (often beans), and therefore, have been dropped from consideration. Leaf-feeding beetles and sawflies that have no other known hosts have been identified. Two kinds of weevils were found to attack the succulent stems, and eight kinds of large beetles (Cerambycidae, Buprestidae, Scarabidae) lay eggs and develop as larvae in the main vines or roots.
Six fungal pathogens have been identified by collaborators at South China Agricultural University (Jiang et al.., 2000). One Phycomycete (Synchytrium puerariae P. Henning) Miyabe (Chytridiaceae) may hold some potential as a biological control agent. This pathogen has been reported on several Pueraria species from Japan, New Guinea, Java, the Phillipines, India, China, and California (specimen at National Fungus Collection, Beltsville, Marlyand (Karling, 1964), but further investigations are necessary to confirm its host specificity.
Host Range Tests and Results
Preliminary host range testing with soybean and peanut were begun in the summer of 2000. As far as possible, initial host testing will be conducted in China, where quarantine facilities are not required for these native insects. In the later screening stages, extensive testing of American plants and crops will be conducted in U.S. quarantine facilities to ensure host specificity before any insect can be released.
Biological Control Using Pathogens Native to the United States
Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. This bacterium is the causal agent of “halo blight” of bean and kudzu, causing a small necrotic leafspot surrounded by a bright halo of chlorotic tissue. Zidak and Backman (1996) reported that the bacterium could kill eight- to ten-week-old kudzu seedlings, but produced few, if any, secondary infections under fairly dry conditions in the field.
Myrothecium verrucaria (Albertini and Schwein.) Ditmar: Fr. (Moniliales). This fungus has a fairly broad host range. Yang and Jong (1995) reported good control of leafy spurge, and eight other Euphorbia species using isolates of this fungus. Walker and Tilley found that an isolate from sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia [L.] Irwin and Barneby) affected a number of important crops, ornamentals, and weeds, representing six different families. Sprays directed to soybean stems and lower leaves did not reduce soybean dry weight (Walker and Tilley, 1997). It was patented for sicklepod biocontrol, and, although originally isolated from sicklepod, it is even more effective against kudzu. Two years of testing in Mississippi demonstrated that the fungus attacks leaves and stems, with greater activity at 25 to 40°C than at 10 to 20°C. Field tests demonstrated that 95 to 100% control could be achieved within 14 days of inoculation by girdling runner stems with this fungus, which produces asexual spores in a sporodochium, with a matrix suggesting dispersal by splashing rain. In inoculation studies, a surfactant was needed for good infection (Boyette, 2000). A patent for kudzu control has been applied for.
Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc. in Penz. (Sphaeriales). A strain of this widely-distributed pathogen was isolated from kudzu in Houston County, Georgia, and its virulence was increased by repeated selection for growth on Czapek Dox medium amended with kudzu extract. Field inoculations showed a synergistic effect was achieved by inoculations of spores together with 20% of the recommended rate of dicamba. The fungus attacks both leaves and vines, and produces asexual spores in a pycnidium (Farris and Reilly, 2000).
Reasons for Success:
Kudzu has proved to be a major problem for the United States. Since the vine grows so rapidly, it is able to quickly encroach on and choke out natural vegetation. When kudzu grows into a forest, it blankets the floor with its vines and runners and prevents the growth of any new trees (Blaustein, 2001). It also destroys the older trees by covering them and blocking out the light they need to survive. Since kudzu is also very heavy, it is able to pull down structures that it is climbing on. This destruction of natural vegetation is profoundly disturbing, mostly because of kudzu's ability to choke out all of its competitors. This means that in a few years, kudzu will be one of the only, if not the only plant species in the area, dramatically reducing the biodiversity. This also means that indigenous animals may lose a great proportion of their natural food source.
Kudzu also poses a threat to cultivated plants. It takes over farm fields and destroys many valuable crop plants. Ironically enough, the plant that was once dubbed the "agricultural wonder" is now the agricultural curse. It was once actively planted to try and save the very farmlands that it is now so busy destroying.
Wildlife and agriculture are not the only things that suffer from the kudzu invasion, many aspects of industry have also been negatively affected. Kudzu encroachs upon train tracks and when the train runs over it, it collects slippery slime from the crushed plants. The result of this is slipping and sometimes even derailment, making it very unsafe for any train to run on tracks that are not cleared regularly. In order to do this, companies that own railroads have to allocate a certain amount of money per year to deal with the kudzu problem (Blaustein, 2001).
The Kudzu vine has also exhibited a disturbing tendency to climb. Not only does it cover trees, but it also goes for utility poles. Once the vine has gone all the way to the top of the pole, it begins to spread out across the lines, slowly weighing them down. Eventually, the lines snap and must be repaired. Kudzu has been known to climb up poles as high as eighty feet and it even destroys high tension wires and high voltage transformers (Watson, 1989). This means that utility companies, like railroad companies, must devote considerable amounts of money and manpower to periodically cleaning away kudzu. If the companies fall behind, the kudzu can quickly snap lines and interrupt power of phone service to many people. All said, power companies in the South devote around $1.5 million a year to controlling kudzu infestations (Blaustein, 2001).
Other types of man made structures are also at risk. Kudzu often covers and pulls down abandoned houses, or sometimes even inhabited houses. This is a huge cause for concern to the people who live in these houses. One elderly woman wrote a letter to Dr. James Miller who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is an expert on kudzu. She recounted how her property was being taken over by the vine and how she and her husband had worked for many years to hold it back, but that he had recently died. She felt that she was unable to fend off the voracious kudzu and confessed to having constant nightmares that involved being attacked and covered by kudzu (Blaustein, 2001). Obviously, kudzu and the property damage that it causes are great sources of stress for many people.
In the short time that it has been on this continent, kudzu has had an enormous impact on culture, especially Southern culture. Southerners have a love/hate relationship with the vine. In recent years, it has become more and more obvious that kudzu is here to stay and in spite of the problems that it causes, people have responded with a mixture of reconciliation and enthusiasm. Kudzu can prove to be a very useful plant, not only is it edible to both humans and livestock, but its vines can be twisted into wreaths or baskets, and the leaves can be used for shade. Southerners relationship with kudzu is perhaps best evidenced by the multitude of names into which the plant is incorporated. Most of these are the names of bands or musical groups such as "The Kudzu Kings", "The Kudzu Krooners", or "The Kudzu Quartet" (Blaustein, 2001). There are also several publications that use the name kudzu such as The Kudzu Gazette, not to mention Kudzu the comic strip.
Many uses have been found for the plant. Soup can be made from its leaves and the starch in its roots can be extracted and used in cooking. The Japanese have used it for centuries for this purpose. It may also have some useful medicinal powers, it has been used in China as a treatment for a variety of ills. The fibers can also be made into paper, or woven into cloth (Mitich, 2000). Diane Hoots and Anita Baldwin co-authors of the book Kudzu: The Vine to Love or Hate have come up with many novel uses for the plant.
Reply:all
Does anybody know what kudzu can be used for?
Bio fuel .
Does anybody know what kudzu can be used for?
It's edible entire
Was brought to the US to control erosion
Does anybody know what kudzu can be used for?
It's edible entire
Was brought to the US to control erosion
Can the herbal tablets kudzu help control drinking?
kudzu is said to cut your intake of alcohol
Can the herbal tablets kudzu help control drinking?
Yes. You should take two in the morning, two at night, and as needed during the day if you need to take the edge off. I would also add some valerian root to help calm the nerves.
Reply:yes and take B1 and B6 too.
Reply:you are asking about the natural treatment , i got some tips from http://naturalholistichealing.blogspot.c...
Reply:It's been said to be highly effective.
Can the herbal tablets kudzu help control drinking?
Yes. You should take two in the morning, two at night, and as needed during the day if you need to take the edge off. I would also add some valerian root to help calm the nerves.
Reply:yes and take B1 and B6 too.
Reply:you are asking about the natural treatment , i got some tips from http://naturalholistichealing.blogspot.c...
Reply:It's been said to be highly effective.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Will these Chinese pills really help me poo? :)?
LOL so I bought some pills at a Central Market today, and I'll tell you the ingredients and you tell me what you think about them.. they're from "Planetary Formulas" and they're for 'Digestive Comfort' - 'Chinese Classic for Supporting Digestion' - 'Herbal Supplement'
In order...
Poria Sclerotium
Magnolia Bark
Chinese Giant Hyssop Leaf
Job's Tears Seed
Bai-Zhu Atractylodes Rhizome
Fragrant Angelica Rot
Kudzu Root
Leavened Wheat
Germinated Rice
Trichosanthes Root
Chrysantheumum Flower
Gastrodia Tuber
Chinese Mint Leaf
and then it says other ingrediends:
dibasic calcium phosphate, steraric acid, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, modified cellulose gum, and magnesium sterarate
they have 47 mg for every 2 tablets
your thoughts???
Will these Chinese pills really help me poo? :)?
I'm with the first answerer -- just eat some prunes, broccoli, carrots, bran cereal, etc. That way, you know exactly what's going in!
Reply:I am with others: more fiber, more water, more exercise, no bogus pills.
One should not support chinese medicine anyway: not only it is mostly ineffective and even dangerous, but most importantly supporting it means supporting trade of endangered animals and plants. For example sharks fins, bear pile, tiger bones, sea horses etc. are in high demand because of traditional chinese medicine. Supporting this superstition is harmful whether one is directly using these controversial products or not.
Reply:Why not just eat foods that are high in fiber?
my horses
In order...
Poria Sclerotium
Magnolia Bark
Chinese Giant Hyssop Leaf
Job's Tears Seed
Bai-Zhu Atractylodes Rhizome
Fragrant Angelica Rot
Kudzu Root
Leavened Wheat
Germinated Rice
Trichosanthes Root
Chrysantheumum Flower
Gastrodia Tuber
Chinese Mint Leaf
and then it says other ingrediends:
dibasic calcium phosphate, steraric acid, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, modified cellulose gum, and magnesium sterarate
they have 47 mg for every 2 tablets
your thoughts???
Will these Chinese pills really help me poo? :)?
I'm with the first answerer -- just eat some prunes, broccoli, carrots, bran cereal, etc. That way, you know exactly what's going in!
Reply:I am with others: more fiber, more water, more exercise, no bogus pills.
One should not support chinese medicine anyway: not only it is mostly ineffective and even dangerous, but most importantly supporting it means supporting trade of endangered animals and plants. For example sharks fins, bear pile, tiger bones, sea horses etc. are in high demand because of traditional chinese medicine. Supporting this superstition is harmful whether one is directly using these controversial products or not.
Reply:Why not just eat foods that are high in fiber?
my horses
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