Kava Kava

The first mention of Kava in European literature is attributed to J.G.A. Forster, a botanical expert who accompanied Admiral James Cook on his second voyage to Oceana (Hawaii) in 1771. Prior to the introduction of alcohol by Europeans, Pacific islanders used Kava as an intoxicating beverage. It is still used both ceremonially and casually in many south Pacific islands, such as Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, the Micronesian Islands, Samoa and others. Traditional preparation involves chewing the rhizome, spitting the masticated root into a bowl, filtering it and drinking it in one gulp. Usually a guest of honor led the ceremony by being the first to drink. Effects of the drink are described as an initial numbing of the mouth, followed by feelings of relaxation, well-being, increased alertness, and increased sociability (which explains its use in place of alcohol among these people).


Today Kava has been tested against placebo and traditional benzodiazepines for use in controlling anxiety--and it has fared well.^4,13,14,15 One oft-cited study showed results comparable to oxazepam (Serax), but without the common benzodiazepine-like side-effects of drowsiness and impaired mental function.⁴ In fact, as shown in this study, Kava has the unique ability to promote a calming effect while increasing mental acuity. Perhaps one of the most exciting recent discoveries is that Kava has been shown to have anti-convulsant effects which have led to studies attempting to determine its usefulness in treating epilepsy.² Other studies have shown Kava to exert a protective effect on the brain during periods of ischemia (periods of low blood flow which lead to poor oxygen supply), leading to speculation that it may be useful as a pre-treatment for patients going in for operations in which they will be put under anesthesia.¹


Kava appears to act on the brain's limbic system, an altogether different mode of action from typical anxiolytic drugs, which bind to the brain's GABA receptors. Kava's more general mode of action probably explains its wide variety of effects on the body.


Folks, not all Kava is the same. If you have ever tried Kava and disliked it (maybe you experienced headache, nausea, or stomach upset), we urge you to try it again. Here's why: if a manufacturer starts with junky Kava, there's no way to produce good Kava extract. Many manufacturers use Kava grown plantation style, using cultivars (there are over 120!) that are designed to grow fast. Often they have been grown using harmful pesticides and fertilizers designed to boost yield. They are almost always harvested too young. In order to sell such a product they must attain the magic number of 30% kavalactones. But kavalactones aren't the only active constituents of the Kava plant! Usually they use methanol (wood alcohol!) as their solvent - it's cheaper than ethanol. Methanol extraction methods leave other important plant constituents behind. This is bad for the consumer because it's an inferior product (not only is the processing bad, but the plant was bad from the start!) and it's bad for the environment because often trees have been clearcut to make room for the plantation.

Did you know that, in animal studies, crude kava extracts produced brain concentrations of lactones that are 2 to 20 times higher than isolated kavalactones?⁵ Plasma lactone levels are 3 to 5 times higher when given as crude extract than when given as isolated kavalactones!³ What does this tell us? Something is being left behind when we aim solely for kavalactones. You can get a 70% kavalactone extract from so-so plants, but you'll end up with a lousy, incomplete product.

What you want, as an infrequent user or as a connoisseur of Kava is an extract that has come from Vanuatuan Raga Kava root. This is the best of the cultivars (also the most expensive). You want an extract from root that is at least 5 years old, that has been sun-dried, and grown in a sustainable manner. Do your homework and you'll find that Vanuatuan Kava is the finest Kava obtainable. Ours has been purchased from an indigenous Vanuatuan growers association, harvested and dried in the traditional native manner. Our extract is made using an ethanol (grain alcohol - non-toxic) solvent, it is produced under pharmaceutical standards, and the reduction process is stopped at a point that retains not only the kavalactones you know to look for, but the other parts of the plant you didn't know about.

This is the best Kava product you will find; try it, you'll love it!