Can an herbal extract lower blood pressure? And reduce bad LDL cholesterol?

Dr. Michael J. Wyss says it can. And he’s published a study that proves it. As we explained on Tuesday he’s put a 2,000-year-old remedy to the test. And his findings support those ancient theories.

His study shows that this all-natural remedy may be just as effective as any statin drug. Without any of the risks.

So just what is this extract? It comes from a plant called kudzu. And it’s now growing wild in states like Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Illinois.

Testing Ancient Theories

Kudzu originally came from the East. It first appeared in the U.S. in 1876. Back then, it was used purely for decoration. But later, it was used to prevent soil erosion.

Dr. Wyss has been studying heart health for 40 years. And his studies showed him that kudzu was long used as medicine in the East. So he decided to test it out in the lab.

He took two groups of hypertensive rats. Both groups received the same diet and exercise. But one group was given 0.2 percent kudzu root extract over the course of two months.

At the end of the study, he ran blood work and a battery of tests on the rats.

And he found that the kudzu group had:

• 15 mmHg lower blood pressure
• 50 percent lower LDL levels
• 30 percent lower blood glucose levels

“Our results suggest that kudzu root modulates glucose, lipids, and blood pressure,” says Dr. Wyss. He notes that it “provides a dietary supplement that significantly decreases the risk and severity of stroke and cardiovascular disease in at-risk individuals.”

So How Does It Work?

Dr. Wyss says kudzu regulates blood sugar and affects the expression of glucose transporters in the gut. This is the mechanism that may help manage blood pressure.

And he says it also contains polyphenols. These phenolic compounds contain puerarin. And studies show that puerarin lowers bad cholesterol.

Other emerging studies support his findings.

The Sukhadia University in Udaipur, India has conducted its own independent study on kudzu. That study was published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine and Toxicology.

Researchers fed rats a high fat diet supplemented with kudzu. Their study results showed that the rats taking the kudzu extract had significantly lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.

The researchers noted that “this study scientifically validates the use of kudzu with a high fat diet (to) lower lipid profiles”.

Kudzu is available in health-food stores in pill and powder form. And Dr. Wyss’s studies show that it’s safe to be taken on its own.

But, he advises you check with your doctor first if you’re taking other medication because it may affect how that medication works.

To your health,

Ian Robinson,
Managing Editor,
NHD “Health Watch”