[Leica] Re: Kudzu

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Dec 31, 2008, at 3:55 PM, Greg wrote:

> 70 acres is not very much land but wouldn't be best to clear the  
> Kudzu vines
> out and have someone grow a food crop on it?
>
> Here the land would be leased out for cultivation to a local farmer.
>
> I assume that you still own the land?


You all are giving kudzu no respect. In several parts of the world  
kudzu is cherished both as a food and medicine. Considering the date,  
I especially like that it is a cure for hangovers.

Read the following excerpt from the Wikipedia article on kudzu:

Food

The non-woody parts of the plant are edible. The young leaves can be  
used for salad or cooked as a leaf vegetable, the flowers battered  
and fried (like squash flowers), and the starchy tuberous roots can  
be prepared as any root vegetable. The starchy roots are ground into  
a fine powder, known as kuzu, and used for varieties of Wagashi and  
herbal medicines. When added to water and heated, kudzu powder  
becomes clear and adds stickiness to the food. It is sometimes known  
as "Japanese arrowroot", due to the similar culinary effect it  
produces.[3]

Its leaves are high in vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and  
protein. Its roots are rich in starch and its flowers are an  
excellent honey source.[4]

Jelly

The purple flowers of Kudzu are also used to make a sweet jelly. This  
jelly is well known in the southern United States. This jelly has  
been described as tasting like either a cross between apple jelly and  
peach jelly or bubblegum.[citation needed] The viscous substance has  
a golden yellow color.

Medicine

Studies have shown that kudzu can reduce both hangovers and alcohol  
cravings.[5][6][7] Persons who take kudzu will still drink alcohol;  
however, they will consume less than if they had not taken kudzu.[8]  
The mechanism for this is not yet established, but it may have to do  
with both alcohol metabolism and the reward circuits in the brain.  
The Harvard Medical School is studying kudzu as a possible way to  
treat alcoholic cravings, by turning an extracted compound from the  
herb into a medical drug.[9]

Kudzu also contains a number of useful isoflavones, including  
daidzein (an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent), daidzin (a  
cancer preventive) and genistein (an antileukemic agent). Kudzu is a  
unique source of the isoflavone puerarin. Kudzu root compounds can  
affect neurotransmitters (including serotonin, GABA, and glutamate)  
and it has shown value in treating migraine and cluster headache.[10]  
It is recommended for allergies and diarrhea.[11]

Research in mice models suggests that Kudzu is beneficial for control  
of some post-menopausal symptoms such as hypertension and diabetes  
type II.[12]

In traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as g? g?n (? 
?), kudzu is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is used  
to treat tinnitus, vertigo, and Wei syndrome (superficial heat close  
to the surface).

Larry Z