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Vidarikand

Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC.

Vidarikand (Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC.) is a plant drug, also called Vidarikamda, from the Fabaceae family. It is included in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India and recognized in Indian traditional medicine systems. WHO-specific documentation is limited, and further clinical research is encouraged.

Key facts
Botanical namePueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC.
FamilyFabaceae · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Pharmacopoeia statusIncluded in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; recognized in Indian traditional medicine systems; limited WHO-specific documentation; further clinical research encouraged
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2977609 · Wikidata Q7258521 · NCBI Taxonomy 457826
Names in other languages
Hindiविदारीकंद (vidārīkaṃda)

Source: Planet Ayurveda and IAFA monographs for Pueraria tuberosa DC., giving 'Hindi: विदारीकंद Vidarikanda, बनकुमड़ा Bankumara'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 1982 to 2024, 11 with a DOI.

  • 1Randomised controlled trials
  • 5Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 6Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishVidarikand
Latin/BotanicalPueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Phytoestrogenic: Puerarin and daidzein bind estrogen receptors (ER-alpha and ER-beta), providing mild estrogenic effects
  • Neuroprotective: Tuberosin and puerarin reduce oxidative stress in neuronal cells, inhibit acetylcholinesterase, and promote BDNF expression
  • Cardioprotective: Isoflavones improve endothelial function, reduce LDL oxidation, and inhibit platelet aggregation through NO-mediated vasodilation

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Traditionally used as a Rasayana (rejuvenative) and Vajikarana (aphrodisiac). Animal studies have reported nootropic, adaptogenic, and reproductive health effects.
  • Menopausal symptoms: a randomized clinical study of a standardized extract reported fewer hot flushes.
  • Balya (strength-promoting): traditionally used to promote strength. Pilot studies in athletes reported improved muscle recovery markers (creatine kinase).

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Generally reported as well tolerated at standard doses in traditional use; liver enzyme monitoring recommended for prolonged use
  • Contraindicated in hormone-sensitive cancers (phytoestrogenic activity), first trimester pregnancy, active hyperthyroidism; caution with anticoagulants and diabetes medications (potential synergy)

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Ksheera Paka (milk decoction), Lehyam, Granules

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g powder twice daily with milk; 50-100 mL decoction twice daily; Ksheera Paka: 100-200 mL at bedtime

Optimal Timing: After meals with warm milk; Ksheera Paka at bedtime; morning dosing for general tonic effect

Storage: Airtight, moisture-proof, insect-proof containers at 15-25 deg C. High starch content attracts insects; use appropriate pest-control packaging. Protect from humidity.

Marker Compounds: Puerarin, Daidzein, beta-Sitosterol, Stigmasterol

Synergistic Combinations

  • Ashwagandha - Rasayana and Balya synergy
  • Shatavari - galactagogue and female tonic combination
  • Bala - muscular strength and Vata-pacifying combination
  • Ghrita/milk - traditional vehicle enhancing galactagogue and nutritive actions
  • Yashad Bhasma (zinc) - reproductive health combination

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Randomised controlled trials1

  1. Verma SK, Jain V, Singh DP. 2012. Effect of Pueraria tuberosa DC. (Indian Kudzu) on blood pressure, fibrinolysis and oxidative stress in patients with stage 1 hypertensionPakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS. PMID 24171260 · doi:10.3923/pjbs.2012.742.747

Other clinical studies and reviews5

  1. Bharti R, Chopra BS, Raut S and others. 2020. Pueraria tuberosa: A Review on Traditional Uses, Pharmacology, and PhytochemistryFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 33708108 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.582506
  2. Ahmad B, Khan S, Liu Y and others. 2020. Molecular Mechanisms of Anticancer Activities of PuerarinCancer management and research. PMID 32021425 · doi:10.2147/CMAR.S233567
  3. Maji AK, Pandit S, Banerji P and others. 2014. Pueraria tuberosa: a review on its phytochemical and therapeutic potentialNatural product research. PMID 24980468 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2014.928291
  4. Kamboj VP. 1988. A review of Indian medicinal plants with interceptive activityThe Indian journal of medical research. PMID 2844661
  5. Kamboj VP, Dhawan BN. 1982. Research on plants for fertility regulation in IndiaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 6752588 · doi:10.1016/0378-8741(82)90004-6

Laboratory and animal studies6

  1. R Giri K, M Palandurkar K, Prakash V and others. 2024. In vivo analysis of puerarin from Pueraria tuberosa as a promising galactagogueBioinformation. PMID 40162455 · doi:10.6026/9732063002001574
  2. Mandal SK, Mukherjee N, Ray AS and others. 2024. An ethnopharmacological approach to evaluate antiparasitic and health-promoting abilities of Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC. in livestockPloS one. PMID 39028725 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0305667
  3. Kanthaliya B, Joshi A, Arora J and others. 2023. Effect of Biotic Elicitors on the Growth, Antioxidant Activity and Metabolites Accumulation in In Vitro Propagated Shoots of Pueraria tuberosaPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36986988 · doi:10.3390/plants12061300
  4. Satpathy S, Patra A, Hussain MD and others. 2021. A fraction of Pueraria tuberosa extract, rich in antioxidant compounds, alleviates ovariectomized-induced osteoporosis in rats and inhibits growth of breast and ovarian cancer cellsPloS one. PMID 33444328 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240068
  5. Srivastava S, Shree P, Tripathi YB. 2017. Active phytochemicals of Pueraria tuberosa for DPP-IV inhibition: in silico and experimental approachJournal of diabetes and metabolic disorders. PMID 29201861 · doi:10.1186/s40200-017-0328-0
  6. Sawale PD, Singh RR, Arora S. 2015. Stability and quality of herb (Pueraria Tuberosa)-milk model systemJournal of food science and technology. PMID 25694723 · doi:10.1007/s13197-013-1067-y

Reference lists that include it

Stigmasterol

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.