KAVA KAVA

 KAVA KAVA

Medicine Name : KAVA KAVA

What Is Kava Kava?

Used by the people of the Pacific Islands, like Fiji and Tonga, for hundreds of years in social gatherings and traditional medicine is an herbal remedy called Kava Kava (“kava” for short).  Made from the roots of Piper methysticum, a plant native to the Pacific Islands, where they dry out the roots or crush them into a fine powder and add them to a drink for its widely known intoxicating benefits.  Kava is a depressant drug, meaning it slows down the messages traveling between the brain and the body; Its name literally means “intoxicating pepper”, and it is considered to be non-alcoholic but psychoactive.

Examples of other depressant drugs :

• Alcohol
• Benzodiazepines
• GHB

Kava can be found in different forms such as a brownish-color drink, brown powder, capsules, extracts and drops.

Example of Kava Kava in brown powder form. 

Active Ingredients

Kava contains compounds known as kavapyrones that act very much like alcohol on our brains, making you feel happy, calm, and relaxed. The compounds of the kava-lactones, in kava, are said to be responsible for its effects the brain and other parts of the nervous system. 

Kava has been used to treat a variety of conditions including insomnia, stress and anxiety, attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (ADHD), a withdrawal treatment from benzodiazepine drugs, epilepsy, psychosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), as well as to relieve pain, relax muscles, and prevent seizures.  It has also been used in application to the skin for skin diseases including leprosy, to promote wound healing, combined with acting as a pain killer.  Also kava has been used as a mouthwash for canker sores and toothaches. 

Example of a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) showing the compounds of Kava Kava:

Kava does have some side effects, the most concerning one stemming from reports of liver damage.  The FDA, in 2002, released a consumer advisory warning of the consumption of Kava and its risk on the liver. In a few people that took kava, the herb was linked to their cirrhosis (liver scarring), hepatitis (irritation of the liver), as well as in a few liver failure, leading to a liver transplant or death.  This greatly depends (as it does anything) on the amount one consumes.  

It has not been made clear to whether the liver damage in these subjects was caused bey kava, or if other herbs or medications the people used were the cause.  The majority of the time, the damage made to their livers improved within a few months after they stopped taking kava. Too much of anything is bad for you.  Even drinking too much water will kill you. So it is important to mind your dosing. 

Other side effects commonly experienced :

• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Skin problems

Before you decide whether or not to consume kava, consult with your doctor and disclose with him all of the medications you’re currently taking.  This herb has been known to interact with medications including :

• Alprazolam (Xanax)
• Antiretroviral medicines (used to treat HIV/AIDS)
• Benzodiazepine and barbiturates (anxiety treatments)
• Medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease
• Sedative medications

Some signs , or symptoms, had where you need to make an appointment with your octor are :

• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Tiredness
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

As well as do not consume kava is you have a liver disease, have depression or bipolar disorder, and/or are pregnant or breastfeeding. 

Current Use

There has been different dosing measurements, and methods, that have been studied in scientific research, mostly by oral consumption.

A study, WS 1490, Dr. Willmar Schewabe Pharmaceuticals, has recommended the prescription of 50 to 100 mg, taken three times daily for a 25 week period for anxiety.  Another was 400 mg of a specific kava extract taken daily for 8 weeks used by LI 150, Lichtwer Pharma.  Another done at 5 kava tablets each, containing 50mg of kavalactones, taken three divided doses (150mg) daily for one week. Taking twice daily of one to two kava extract tablets for a 6 week period.  As well as calcium supplements plus 100 to 200 mg of kava taking daily for 90 days (3 months), has been practiced. 

Always get your medicine tested and from a quality resource. The one I have used is photographed below. 

MEDICINAL USES

Most of the research done on kava kava has shown its extracts containing 70% kavalctones can lower anxiety and might work well as a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication. A stufy done by Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals has used specific kava extracts to do just that. Although kava kava has a wide range of medicinal uses, there is insufficient evidence to back up its treatments.  Some of the uses are treatments for that of :

• Attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
• Common cold
• Epilepsy
• Headaches
• Infections
• Insomnia
• Menstrual pain
• Muscle pain
• Psychosis
• Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)
• Skin diseases
• Stress
• Swelling of the uterus
• Tuberculosis
• Urinary tract infections
• Withdrawal from benzodiazepines
• & others...

More research and evidence is needed to properly assess the effectiveness of kava kava in these treatments. 

HISTORY OF KAVA KAVA :

CEREMONIAL TRADITIONS

The primary focus in a kava ceremony is around the communal Kava Tanoa (bowl).  Its participants gather round in a circle around the bowl in front of the leader (or shaman if you will) whiles he commences with the actual production of the kava drink. The root is then pounded and the pulp of it placed into a cloth sack and mixed together with water to make a broth. 

During the ceremony the tradition is standardized when receiving in a ritual as follows:

• Clap once with hands cupped making a hollow sound
• Shout : Bula!
• Drink Kava broth in one gulp
• Clap three times, hands cupped
• Say : Mathe

This is the etiquette for a traditional ceremony held in Fiji, although they may differ depending on the region it is held. 

Once you have finished your kava, you may feel a sense of serenity, and calm, with a slight numbness around your mouth, lips and tongue.  The energy of a kava ceremony is always light, energetic, fun and full of laughter and is a staple in the Fijian culture.  This is why Fijians will often serve kava to make peace with other villagers or to settle an argument. 

LEGALiTiES 

Countries, including France and Canada, have banned kava due to the risk it poses to the liver, however you may still purchase kava online or in the United States. Again, source from a reputable manufacturer as there have been some cases of companies switching the kava powder with saw dust and other matter that has its appearance. 

MY EXPERIENCE

My experiences with kava kava are both in cooking with it and the actual ritual of consumption.  I must first, as a chef, comment on the taste.  It is quite horrible.  Also the numbing effect that it has in your mouth, lips and tongue, as the taste lingers, is that of a stimulant like cocaine.  It isn’t pleasant, however there is ways to mask its flavor that are used primarily in chocolate, and the darker the better.  I have experimented in incorporating kava in with my cannabis edibles for some of its benefits as well as intoxicating properties that kind of mimic and edible.  There was much success had with being very light on its amount, and of course I carried these out mainly in chocolates.  I tried incorporating in different additives like blueberries and raspberries which added nicely with the flavor pallet, especially cinnamon. But the one I did with coconut was one that I will save you all the time here and - NOT suggest that combination. 

The effects for me are a very relaxed, calm, a euphoria feeling.  You have a lot more control of self overall compared to the equivalent mg dose of cannabis. I would recommend for anyone to partake in a ceremony if they can to embrace the culture and medicine.  As well as I would recommend taking for anxiety and sleep, for a calming effect. However, I think, other than chocolate, taking kava in capsules to avoid its taste is were I would put my recommendation on the method of consumption.