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 Side Effects and Benefits of Kava Kava
By Steve Mathew
The Kava plant (Piper methysticum) is a member of the pepper family, and is
widely cultivated throughout the Pacific Islands. Kava is a hardy perennial,
which reaches up to 3 to 4 meters. It is believed to originate from Melanesia,
and grow well in the sun-drenched islands of Polynesia. In the U.S. Kava Kava is
sold as food supplements and marketed for the remediation of premenstrual
syndrome, anxiety, occasional insomnia and stress. These food products are
generally in the type of raw plant material or concentrated extracts, which is
obtained by using either acetone or ethanol extraction or cryoprecipitation.
Benefits
Kava contains a good amount of active property stems from the kavalactones found
in its roots. This makes a pleasurable and favorable experience every time for
the consummate kava drinker. It has mild psychoactive and anti-anxiety
properties. It has been a popular liquid refreshment with Pacific Islanders in
traditional celebrations for the past 3000 years. Kava is effective for treating
malady such as cramps, migraine headaches and but best of all, it keeps the mind
active as the body relaxes. Based on many European randomized controlled trials,
kava appears to be efficacious for mild anxiety or stress. The relative efficacy
of kava compared to usual doses of pharmaceutical anxiolyric drugs is not known.
Kava is a wonderful medication that eliminates pain, but its modus operandi as a
pain reliever has yet to be determined. Kava is an effective muscle relaxant and
can make the pain of an aching back, a sore neck, or any other cramped, sore, or
injured muscle disappear. Products containing the herbal composition of kava are
promoted for abate stress, anxiety, tension, efficacious for sleeplessness,
menopausal symptoms and other uses.
Tea made from kava powder is used to make tinctures (direct drops on the tongue
or mixed in with beverages), or packed into capsules for easy intake. It has
also been used as a remediation to fight fatigue, as well as to treat asthma and
urinary tract infections.
Side Effects
Excessive and/or continual use of kava supplements may result in scaly, yellowed
skin. In few cases, kava has been reported to produce severe liver toxicity,
including hepatitis and liver failure in some people who have used dietary
supplements containing kava extract. It has also been associated with many cases
of abnormal tonicity of muscle.
Kava appears to be well tolerated at prescribed therapeutic doses, but there is
potential for adverse effects with higher than recommended doses and for drug
reactions. Rare, serious reactions such as hepatitis may occur; therefore, the
herb should not be used for patients with liver disease. It would be prudent for
patients susceptible to extra pyramidal side effects such as those with
Parkinson’s disease or those using drugs such as antipsychotics or
metoclopramide, to avoid kava until interactions have been more clearly defined.
Likewise, kava should not be mixed with CNS depressants such as benzodiazepines
or alcohol.
Side effects of the standardized preparations were rare and mild in the
controlled trials. There were isolated reports of stomach complaints,
restlessness, drowsiness, tremors, and headache. Gastrointestinal discomfort,
headache, dizziness, and allergic skin reactions have been reported in 2.3% of
patients in open trials.
Dosage
The usual prescribed dose of kava is 140 to 250 mg daily of the kava pyrone
constituents, in 2 to 3 divided doses. In European studies, the most common dose
was 210 mg daily, but ranged from 60 to 210 mg daily. In U.S. brands kava pyrone
content usually varies between 30% and 55%. Kava extracts are commonly available
in capsules, tablets, and liquid forms.
Drug Interactions
There is limited data on drug interactions with kava. Severe disorientation has
been reported in a patient using a U.S. kava product in conjunction with
alprazolam, cimetidine, and terazosin; whether his symptoms were actually due to
a drug-herb interaction is unknown. Therapeutic doses of a European kava
preparation reportedly did not affect safety-related performance when
administered with alcohol, but a liquid kava preparation did potentiate the CNS
depressant properties of alcohol in a separate study.
Steve Mathew is a writer, author of several articles on conditions, diseases and
various other ailments. For more information on Kava, visit
http://www.Online-Health-Care.com
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