A plain-English comparison of the FDA-approved prescription and the Harvard-studied plant researchers have compared it to. Some are calling Kudzu "nature's naltrexone." Here's what that actually means.
If you've been to a doctor recently about your drinking, there's a good chance the conversation ended with two options.
Option one: cut back on your own. Option two: a prescription called naltrexone.
That's the menu most primary care doctors offer. AA is a referral, not a prescription. Inpatient rehab is for a different level of problem. For the grey-area drinker who drinks too much but isn't in crisis, the clinical path usually runs through naltrexone.
What most people don't know is that there's a third option with peer-reviewed research behind it. A plant called Kudzu root. Studied for two decades at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate. In the published papers, researchers have compared its observed effect to naltrexone.
Some are calling it "nature's naltrexone."
This is an honest comparison of both. What each one does. How they work. Side effects. Cost. Who each one is actually right for.
Naltrexone 101
Naltrexone is a prescription medication that was originally developed in the 1960s to block the effects of opioid drugs. In 1994, the FDA approved it for a second use: the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
It works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain. This matters for drinking because part of the reward you feel when you drink alcohol is driven by your brain's opioid system. Naltrexone blocks that reward. You can still drink on naltrexone. You just don't get the buzz you used to get.
Over time, the theory goes, your brain stops associating drinking with reward, and you drink less.
The most common protocol is "the Sinclair Method," which involves taking naltrexone about an hour before drinking. Some patients take it daily regardless of planned drinking.
Does it work? Yes, for many people. The research base is robust. Clinical trials have shown naltrexone reduces heavy-drinking days and helps patients achieve longer periods of abstinence.
Side effects. Reported at meaningful rates in clinical use: nausea, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, and in some patients, a flattening of mood or sense of "meh" that persists beyond the drinking reward block. Liver function requires monitoring in some patients. Cannot be used by people taking opioid pain medications.
Cost and access. Requires a prescription. A doctor's visit, usually two or three to establish and monitor. Cost ranges from around $50 a month (generic, with insurance) to several hundred dollars (brand-name Vivitrol injection). Insurance coverage varies widely.
Who it's right for. Someone with a formal Alcohol Use Disorder diagnosis. Someone whose drinking has progressed to the point where a medical intervention is warranted and who has the support of a physician willing to prescribe and monitor it. Someone for whom the side effects are an acceptable trade.
Kudzu 101
Pueraria lobata (Kudzu). Used in Chinese medicine for over a thousand years.
Kudzu is a climbing vine native to Asia. In the United States it's mostly known as an invasive species. In Chinese medicine it has been used for over a thousand years to help heavy drinkers drink less. The earliest documented medical texts describing its use date to roughly 600 AD.
The active compounds are isoflavones, primarily puerarin.
Does it work? Peer-reviewed clinical trials say yes, though the research base is smaller than naltrexone's. The key studies:
Lukas et al., 2005. Heavy drinkers given Kudzu extract in a controlled setting drank significantly less beer than those given placebo. Published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Lukas et al., 2013. Heavy drinkers taking Kudzu extract over four weeks in their normal home environments reduced their drinking by 34 to 57 percent compared to placebo. Published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Penetar et al., 2015. A single dose of Kudzu taken before a drinking session reduced consumption in a binge-drinking paradigm. Published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
All studies were conducted at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate.
Mechanism. Not fully understood. The leading hypothesis is that Kudzu speeds up the rate at which alcohol reaches the brain's reward centers, so the first drink feels more complete and the craving for the next drink doesn't build the same way. This is different from naltrexone's mechanism (opioid receptor blockade) but produces a similar behavioral outcome (people drink less without subjective distress).
Side effects. None reported in the published trials. As with any supplement, check with your doctor if you're on medications.
Cost and access. Available as a dietary supplement. No prescription. No doctor visit required. Pricing varies by brand and formulation.
Who it's right for. The grey-area drinker. Someone who drinks more than they want to but doesn't meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis. Someone who wants to try a natural, lower-risk approach first. Someone who has tried willpower-based methods and they haven't stuck.
If you're in the grey area and looking for a research-backed starting point, Crave Away is built around a clinical dose of Kudzu.
The Comparison
| Feature | Naltrexone | Kudzu (Crave Away) |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription required | Yes | No |
| FDA status | Approved for AUD | Dietary supplement |
| Mechanism | Opioid receptor antagonist | Cerebral blood flow, likely other pathways |
| Research depth | Extensive, decades | Harvard-affiliated, 20 years |
| Reduction in drinking | Clinically meaningful | 34 to 57 percent in 4-week trial |
| Side effects | Nausea, fatigue, mood flatness, more | None reported in trials |
| Doctor visits required | Yes, usually 2 to 3 | No |
| Monthly cost | $50 to $300+ | Supplement pricing |
| Interactions | Cannot use with opioid pain meds | Check with physician if on medications |
| Best fit | Diagnosed AUD, medical intervention warranted | Grey-area drinker, natural-first preference |
The "Nature's Naltrexone" Question
In the papers published from Dr. Scott Lukas's research team at McLean Hospital, the authors directly compared the observed effect of Kudzu to naltrexone. This is not marketing language. It's in the peer-reviewed text.
What they're saying is that both substances, through different mechanisms, appear to reduce alcohol consumption in drinkers without causing subjective distress.
Over the past few years, as awareness of both tools has grown, the phrase "nature's naltrexone" has become shorthand for Kudzu in the sober-curious and moderation communities.
"Both substances, through different mechanisms, appear to reduce alcohol consumption without causing subjective distress."
The phrase isn't perfect. The two substances work through different pathways. Kudzu is not "naltrexone in a plant." What it is, according to the published research, is a natural compound with a similar behavioral effect and a very different side-effect and access profile.
That distinction matters. For some people, the prescription route is the right call. For many more, a researched botanical with no reported side effects and no prescription required is a better place to start.
Which Is Right for You?
Start with naltrexone if:
You have a formal diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder. Your drinking has progressed beyond the "grey area" and is affecting your health, work, or relationships in material ways. You have a physician supportive of the Sinclair Method or daily naltrexone protocols. You've tried other approaches and need a medical intervention. The side effect profile is acceptable to you.
Start with Kudzu if:
You're in the grey area. Drinking more than you want to. Not in medical crisis. You've tried willpower-based approaches (Dry January, moderation apps, books) and they haven't stuck. You want to try a natural, lower-risk option first. You don't want a prescription, a doctor's visit, or a label. You've tried naltrexone and didn't love it.
For many people, Kudzu is the first rung of a ladder. If it works, you have a sustainable tool with no downsides. If it doesn't work, the prescription path is still there.
Crave Away
Crave Away is a daily supplement built around a clinical dose of Kudzu root extract. The formula was developed with guidance from Dr. Brooke Scheller, DCN, CNS, a doctor of clinical nutrition who specializes in alcohol health and authored How to Eat to Change How You Drink. Dr. Scheller serves as an advisor to Cloud9.
Dr. Brooke Scheller, DCN, CNS — Doctor of Clinical Nutrition. Advisor to Cloud9. Author, How to Eat to Change How You Drink.
The Kudzu dose is the hero. The formula pairs it with a stack of nutrients specifically chosen to restore what alcohol depletes:
Mucuna Pruriens and L-Tyrosine. Dopamine precursors.
Griffonia (5-HTP). Serotonin precursor. Supports mood and sleep.
Benfotiamine. The most bioavailable form of B1. Alcohol burns through B1.
Methylcobalamin (B12) and active Folate. Bioavailable forms for cellular recovery.
Two capsules a day. No prescription. No doctor visit. No side effects reported in the underlying research on the hero ingredient.
60-day money-back guarantee. Free shipping. Pause anytime.
Final Word
The point of this article is not to tell you naltrexone is bad. It isn't. For the right patient, it's the right tool.
The point is that for the much larger population of people drinking more than they'd like but not in medical crisis, there's been a gap in the clinical conversation. A plant with peer-reviewed research behind it, used for a thousand years, with no reported side effects, that researchers at Harvard-affiliated institutions have compared to the gold-standard prescription.
If that's the gap you've been sitting in, this is the bridge.
60-day money-back guarantee. Free shipping. Pause anytime.
Lukas et al., Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2005.
Lukas et al., Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2013.
Penetar et al., Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2015.
Penetar et al., Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2011.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is editorial content and is not medical advice. Consult your physician about prescription medications including naltrexone.