Kava

Kava, also known as kava kava, intoxicating pepper, rauschpfeffer, tonga, and yangona, is a plant native to the South Pacific islands. The Latin name for this plant is Piper methysticum. The root of the plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine across various cultures, primarily to relieve stress, anxiety, tension, sleeplessness, and symptoms associated with menopause.

Piper methysticum (kava, awa)

Starr 040318-0058 Piper methysticum

Kava is a shrub that grows in the Pacific Islands. The root and underground stem (rhizome) are used to prepare a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties. Kava is also available in capsules and tinctures, and as a tea.

Traditional Uses

Traditionally, Pacific Islanders used kava for its sedative effects during religious ceremonies and social gatherings, to induce a state of relaxation. Today, kava is commonly used as an alternative treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), stress, and insomnia. It is also utilized in easing the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood swings.

Mechanism of Action

Kava contains a variety of compounds known as kavalactones, which are thought to be responsible for its effects. These compounds have been shown to affect the levels of neurotransmitters (chemicals that nerves use to communicate with each other) in the brain, including GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which inhibits nerve activity, and dopamine, which is involved in mood and sensation of pleasure.

Safety and Side Effects

Despite its potential benefits, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings that products containing kava may cause severe liver damage. Side effects can include indigestion, mouth numbness, skin rash, headache, drowsiness, and visual disturbances. Long-term use of high doses of kava can lead to kava dermopathy, a skin condition characterized by rough, dry, scaly skin.

Drug Interactions

Kava can interact with several types of medications, including benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants. It can also interact with drugs that are metabolized by the liver, as it may inhibit liver enzymes required for drug metabolism.

Contraindications

People with liver disease or liver problems, or people who are taking drugs that can harm the liver, should avoid kava. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid kava due to the potential risk of infant liver damage and potential extrapyramidal effects (movement disorders).

See Also

• Herbalism
• Traditional medicine
• Anxiety disorder
• Menopause

References

• Teschke, R., Qiu, S. X., & Lebot, V. (2011). "Herbal hepatotoxicity by kava: update on pipermethystine, flavokavain B, and mould hepatotoxins as primarily assumed culprits". Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver, 43(9), 676–681.
• Sarris, J., Stough, C., Bousman, C. A., Wahid, Z. T., Murray, G., Teschke, R., Savage, K. M., Dowell, A., Ng, C., Schweitzer, I. (2013). "Kava in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 33(5), 643–648.
• "Kava". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, U.S. National Institutes of Health. 2021.

External links

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Kava-Containing Dietary Supplements May Be Associated with Severe Liver Injury

Kava Resources
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