A Look At Kava

Piper methysticum, or kava, also known as, kava kava, ‘awa, ‘ava, yaqona, and 
sakau, has 
been used since ancient times by many cultures of the Pacific islands. In many areas kava is 
traditionally consumed as a drink. Prepared by grinding kava roots and adding a little bit 
of cold water, this emulsion is placed in the mouth and chewed. Other traditional forms of 
use are prepared  by grinding the root and steeping it in cold water and then drinking it. 
The primary active constituents of kava are kavalactones, a group of 18 lactones found 
mainly in the roots of Piper methysticum, a member of the pepper femily. Its popularity as 
an herbal supplement is well known and during the 90s it was commonly found anywhere herbal 
remedies were sold. In the past decade kava has become less common on store shelves. This 
came after the FDA claimed kava could cause liver damage. It is thought claims of liver 
damage may have come from those using inferior kava products made in Europe and elsewhere, 
that included the cheap aerial parts of the kava plant. Traditionally only the belowground 
parts, the root and rhizome, are used. Liver damage is not associated with traditional kava 
use in the Pacific. There is no good causal evidence to suggest kava root and kavalactone 
use cause liver damage. To make matters worse, the DEA placed kava under its drugs of 
concern.

There is nothing inherent in kava or kavalactone use that causes health or criminal 
problems. But don’t be surprised if the media or the DEA/FDA/DHHS drum up some 
propaganda 
scare stories, that is of course their style. This would financially devastate many people 
who make a living growing or distributing kava. Lets not forget that kava has been used 
traditionally in Hawaii and American Samoa. Recently, kava bars have sprung up throughout 
the mainland US. Kava can be a great alternative to alcohol for a relaxing drink at the end 
of the day. Its also finding its way into “anti-energy” or relaxation drinks.

I have tried kava in the past and enjoyed it, it is good for anxiety, similar to the 
benzodiazepines. It is theorized that the kavalactones found in kava mainly produce effects 
through potentiating GABA-A activity. One interesting thing is that unlike benzodiazepines, 
research has shown kava extract to ENHANCE cognitive function.

PART 2 COMING

Check out this research:
Enhanced cognitive performance and cheerful mood by standardized extracts of Piper 
methysticum (Kava-kava).  Full PDF Here

Thompson R, Ruch W, Hasenöhrl RU.

Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts AL10 
9AB, UK.
Abstract

The acute effects of the herbal anxiolytic Kava-kava (Piper methysticum G. Forster) on 
emotional reactivity and cognitive performance were investigated in a double-blind 
randomized placebo-controlled trial involving healthy volunteers. Subjects’ reports 
of 
mood change were assessed with the state-trait-cheerfulness-inventory, which measures the 
three concepts of cheerfulness, seriousness and bad mood as both traits and states. 
Cognitive performance was examined with the Sperling partial report and the Sternberg item 
recognition task, which were used as an index for visual attention and short-term memory 
processing. The intake of a single dose of Kava extract (300 mg; p.o.) led to an increase in 
state cheerfulness, while the phytopharmacon did not influence state seriousness and bad 
mood. The mood-elevating effects of Kava were most prominent in trait cheerful subjects, 
indicating that trait cheerfulness moderated the drug-induced increase in cheerful mood. 
Furthermore, Kava improved the accuracy and the speed of performing the partial report and 
the item recognition task, indicative of a beneficial effect of the phytopharmacon on visual 
attention and short-term memory retrieval, respectively. Thus, unlike conventional 
benzodiazepine-type anxiolytics, which tend to impair cognitive performance and to increase 
the occurrence of negative affective states, Kava is a potent anxiolytic agent, which, 
additionally, can facilitate cognitive functioning and can increase positive affectivity 
related to exhilaration.