What Is Pueraria

Pueraria is a genus of plants from Asia. The best-known of the 15 to 20 species comprising the genus are kudzu, a noxious, invasive weed in the American south; and Pueraria mirifica, also called Kwao Krua, which is marketed as an herbal phytoestrogen supplement. Pueraria species are woody, trailing or climbing vines, some with tuberous roots.

Kudzu

Kudzu is a blanket term for five closely related species: Pueraria edulis, Pueraria lobata, Pueraria montana, Pueraria phaseoloides and Pueraria thomsonii. Some researchers consider Pueraria lobata to be a subspecies of Pueraria montana. The aggressively spreading vine was introduced to the United States at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition as an ornamental plant and later marketed as a feed for livestock. Its nutritional value is similar to many other commonly used hays and is highly palatable to cattle, sheep and goats.

Pueraria Mirifica

The root of Pueraria mirifica contains substances called miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, which are chemically similar to estrogen. The plant, native to Myanmar and Thailand, is marketed as an herbal estrogen supplement. Producers claim that the supplement can enhance feminine attributes and restore female health, but such claims are unsubstantiated. Phytoestrogen supplementation may aggravate some health problems caused by hormone imbalances, so consumers should consult a doctor before using Pueraria mirifica.

Pueraria as Food

Several Pueraria species are used as food for people as well as livestock. In China, people eat the root of Pueraria hirsuta as a vegetable. The same root was made into flour during the post-war food shortages in Japan. The Chinese and the people of New Caledonia eat the roots and fibrous stems of Pueraria Thunbergiana. Pueraria tuberosa grows tuberous roots and is eaten in the Kumaon region of India. It is also a folk medicine for fever and swollen joints.

U.S. Response to Invasive Kudzu

The U.S. government ranks control of kudzu under the highest priority for noxious weed control. Kudzu vines can grow up to a foot a day and spread over an additional 120,000 acres each year, choking native forest. The government spends millions of dollars every year to control kudzu by mowing, controlled grazing, burning, herbicides and biological control with fungal pathogens. Kudzu's hardiness is such that most control measures take years for full effectiveness.

Tags: Pueraria mirifica, marketed herbal, Pueraria lobata, Pueraria montana, Pueraria species, root Pueraria