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In today’s world, anxiety disorders are growing more and more prevalent. While the effects might be challenging for those who experience them personally, they also place a heavy load on healthcare systems. 1 The sorts of medicines used in medical therapies for anxiety have not changed significantly over the past ten years, and many of these treatments are now recognised for the negative consequences they may have on long-term users. 2 Further investigation on secure and efficient anxiety therapies is thus required. With several research studies attesting to its efficacy as a therapy for generalised anxiety disorders, kava is showing an ever-growing body of data in this field. 3
The shrub known as kava (Piper methysticum) is indigenous to the Pacific. In the Pacific region, where it is frequently used as a beverage for fun, rituals, and medicine, kava has a long history of use. The traditional process for making kava involves crushing the plant’s root and soaking it in either water or coconut milk. 5,6 The main ingredients in kava are called kavalactones, and studies have shown that kava preparations containing between 60 and 280 mg of kavalactones considerably alleviate the symptom of generalised anxiety. The effect of kavalactones on the brain, which increases dopamine availability and increases brain sensitivity to substances like the neurotransmitter GABA while also lowering noradrenaline levels, is what causes this reaction. These mental neurochemical changes enhance feelings of peace and well-being. 7,8,9
studies on kava
Participants in Kava research studies have noted better physical signs of stress, such as a reduction in muscular tension, heart palpitations, and jitteriness, as well as enhanced coping skills, mood elevation, and sleep quality.
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Although liver damage has been a well-publicized adverse effect of Kava usage, these reports have only been linked to the concurrent use of Kava with alcohol or other drugs that harm the liver, as well as with Kava that has been artificially extracted with alcohol. Traditional and water-based Kava extractions (as previously mentioned) are connected to very low levels of negative reactivity. 11 No adverse responses or withdrawal signs were found, and the most notable side effect was gastro-intestinal in nature, including moderate cramps and nausea. 12 Liver function is frequently assessed in research trials using water-based Kava extractions before and after Kava use, and the results have not revealed any appreciable changes in liver function as a result of Kava usage. 13
The growing body of research demonstrating Kava’s medicinal potential opens up a promising new vista for the human population’s access to secure, efficient therapy for stress and generalised anxiety disorder.
