Things To Know & Note
Other Functions:
Primary Function:
Also Known As
Piper methysticum, Kava Pepper, Ava Pepper, Kava Kava, Intoxicating Pepper, Awa, rauschpfeffer, sakau, tonga, wurzelstock, yangona
Caution Notice
Examine.com Medical DisclaimerHow to Take Kava
Recommended dosage, active amounts, other details
When supplementing Kava, initially an extract known as WS1490 should be sought out. 300mg of this extract daily (in three divided doses of 100mg) appears to be reliable and effective for the treatment of anxiety and other cognitive issues. Doses of up to 800mg of the WS1490 extract have been tolerated for short periods of time.
Otherwise, supplementation of any product conferring 250mg collective kavalactones (the active ingredients) is used.
Although it is usually taken at multiple times throughout the day with meals, if a single dose per day is being used it tends to be used prior to sleep.
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Human Effect Matrix
The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (it excludes animal and in vitro studies) to tell you what effects kava has on your body, and how strong these effects are.
Grade | Level of Evidence [show legend] |
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Robust research conducted with repeated double-blind clinical trials |
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Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled |
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Single double-blind study or multiple cohort studies |
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Uncontrolled or observational studies only |
Level of Evidence
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The amount of high quality evidence. The more
evidence, the more we can trust the results.
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Outcome |
Magnitude of effect
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The direction and size of the supplement's impact on
each outcome. Some supplements can have an increasing effect, others have a decreasing effect, and others have no effect.
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Consistency of research results
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Scientific research does not always agree. HIGH or
VERY HIGH means that most of the scientific research agrees.
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Notes |
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Very High See all 8 studies |
Appears to be quite reliable and effective in treating non-psychotic anxiety, with less reliability on the topic of generalized anxiety (which lavender shows some promise for). It is possible that long-term usage of kava may have similar side-effects as long term usage of benzodiazepines (note demonstrated, but wholly logical) and most studies on kava are of a few weeks in duration without any problems.
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Very High See all 4 studies |
The increase in well being appears to be quite large, but secondary to reducing anxiety. At least one study has noted that, in healthy persons subject to a minor stressor (testing) that kava enhanced cheerfulness
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- See study |
The one study to measure reaction time noted an astounding decreased (approximately 40% reduction), which needs to be replicated
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- See study |
Aggressive symptoms of anxiety have been noted to be decreased following kava ingestion, an outright reduction of anxiety (without treating anxiety) is uncertain
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- See study |
Possibly secondary to the antianxiety effects, kava taken prior to a test is able to enhance cognition related to mood during the stressful test.
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Very High See 2 studies |
Depressive symptoms have been reduced vicariously through reductions in anxiety; per se antidepressant effects of kava uncertain
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Very High See 2 studies |
Sleep quality is enhanced via reducing the symptoms of anxiety which impair sleep
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- | Very High See 2 studies |
No significant influence on liver enzymes assuming the water extract (WS1490) is being used
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- See study |
One study has noted a reduction in blood pressure associated with kava, of minor magnitude
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Very High See 2 studies |
Possible antistress effects of kava that requires larger studies
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Studies Excluded from Consideration
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Research Breakdown on Kava
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References
- ^ a b c d e f St. John's wort and Kava in treating major depressive disorder with comorbid anxiety: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial.
- ^ a b c d e Kava-Kava extract LI 150 is as effective as Opipramol and Buspirone in Generalised Anxiety Disorder--an 8-week randomized, double-blind multi-centre clinical trial in 129 out-patients.
- ^ Kava-Kava administration reduces anxiety in perimenopausal women.
- ^ Evaluation of combining kava extract with hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of postmenopausal anxiety.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ulbricht C, et al. Safety review of kava (Piper methysticum) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration. Expert Opin Drug Saf. (2005)
- ^ a b Singh YN. Kava: an overview. J Ethnopharmacol. (1992)
- ^ a b Mathews JD, et al. Effects of the heavy usage of kava on physical health: summary of a pilot survey in an aboriginal community. Med J Aust. (1988)
- ^ a b c Schelosky L, et al. Kava and dopamine antagonism. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. (1995)
- ^ a b Weiss J, et al. Extracts and kavalactones of Piper methysticum G. Forst (kava-kava) inhibit P-glycoprotein in vitro. Drug Metab Dispos. (2005)
- ^ a b He XG, Lin LZ, Lian LZ. Electrospray high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in phytochemical analysis of kava (Piper methysticum) extract. Planta Med. (1997)
- ^ a b Clayton NP, et al. Immunohistochemical analysis of expressions of hepatic cytochrome P450 in F344 rats following oral treatment with kava extract. Exp Toxicol Pathol. (2007)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Baum SS, Hill R, Rommelspacher H. Effect of kava extract and individual kavapyrones on neurotransmitter levels in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. (1998)
- ^ a b c Olsen LR, Grillo MP, Skonberg C. Constituents in kava extracts potentially involved in hepatotoxicity: a review. Chem Res Toxicol. (2011)
- ^ a b Whitton PA, et al. Kava lactones and the kava-kava controversy. Phytochemistry. (2003)
- ^ In Vitro Toxicity of Kava Alkaloid, Pipermethystine, in HepG2 Cells Compared to Kavalactones.
- ^ a b c Garrett KM, et al. Extracts of kava (Piper methysticum) induce acute anxiolytic-like behavioral changes in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). (2003)
- ^ a b Keledjian J, et al. Uptake into mouse brain of four compounds present in the psychoactive beverage kava. J Pharm Sci. (1988)
- ^ a b c d Thompson R, Ruch W, Hasenöhrl RU. Enhanced cognitive performance and cheerful mood by standardized extracts of Piper methysticum (Kava-kava). Hum Psychopharmacol. (2004)
- ^ a b c d Duffield AM, et al. Identification of some human urinary metabolites of the intoxicating beverage kava. J Chromatogr. (1989)
- ^ Rasmussen AK, et al. Metabolism of some kava pyrones in the rat. Xenobiotica. (1979)
- ^ Zou L, Harkey MR, Henderson GL. Synthesis, in vitro, reactivity, and identification of 6-phenyl-3-hexen-2-one in human urine after kava-kava (Piper methysticum) ingestion. Planta Med. (2005)
- ^ Mulholland PJ, Prendergast MA. Post-insult exposure to (+/-) kavain potentiates N-methyl-D-aspartate toxicity in the developing hippocampus. Brain Res. (2002)
- ^ Davies LP, et al. Kava pyrones and resin: studies on GABAA, GABAB and benzodiazepine binding sites in rodent brain. Pharmacol Toxicol. (1992)
- ^ Jussofie A, Schmiz A, Hiemke C. Kavapyrone enriched extract from Piper methysticum as modulator of the GABA binding site in different regions of rat brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl). (1994)
- ^ Serdarevic N, Eckert GP, Müller WE. The effects of extracts from St. John's Wort and Kava Kava on brain neurotransmitter levels in the mouse. Pharmacopsychiatry. (2001)
- ^ Dinh LD, et al. Interaction of various Piper methysticum cultivars with CNS receptors in vitro. Planta Med. (2001)
- ^ a b Backhauss C, Krieglstein J. Extract of kava (Piper methysticum) and its methysticin constituents protect brain tissue against ischemic damage in rodents. Eur J Pharmacol. (1992)
- ^ Cropley M, et al. Effect of kava and valerian on human physiological and psychological responses to mental stress assessed under laboratory conditions. Phytother Res. (2002)
- ^ Münte TF, et al. Effects of oxazepam and an extract of kava roots (Piper methysticum) on event-related potentials in a word recognition task. Neuropsychobiology. (1993)
- ^ a b Scherer J. Kava-kava extract in anxiety disorders: an outpatient observational study. Adv Ther. (1998)
- ^ a b Malsch U, Kieser M. Efficacy of kava-kava in the treatment of non-psychotic anxiety, following pretreatment with benzodiazepines. Psychopharmacology (Berl). (2001)
- ^ a b Pittler MH, Ernst E. Kava extract for treating anxiety. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (2003)
- ^ Connor KM, Payne V, Davidson JR. Kava in generalized anxiety disorder: three placebo-controlled trials. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. (2006)
- ^ Jacobs BP, et al. An internet-based randomized, placebo-controlled trial of kava and valerian for anxiety and insomnia. Medicine (Baltimore). (2005)
- ^ a b c Cairney S, et al. Saccade and cognitive function in chronic kava users. Neuropsychopharmacology. (2003)
- ^ a b c d Cairney S, et al. Saccade and cognitive impairment associated with kava intoxication. Hum Psychopharmacol. (2003)
- ^ a b c Spillane PK, Fisher DA, Currie BJ. Neurological manifestations of kava intoxication. Med J Aust. (1997)
- ^ a b c Robinson V, et al. Final report on the safety assessment of Piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract and Piper methysticum root extract. Int J Toxicol. (2009)
- ^ Herberg KW. Effect of Kava-Special Extract WS 1490 combined with ethyl alcohol on safety-relevant performance parameters. Blutalkohol. (1993)
- ^ Foo H, Lemon J. Acute effects of kava, alone or in combination with alcohol, on subjective measures of impairment and intoxication and on cognitive performance. Drug Alcohol Rev. (1997)
- ^ a b c Jamieson DD, Duffield PH. Positive interaction of ethanol and kava resin in mice. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. (1990)
- ^ Mathews JM, et al. Pharmacokinetics and disposition of the kavalactone kawain: interaction with kava extract and kavalactones in vivo and in vitro. Drug Metab Dispos. (2005)
- ^ Schulze J, Raasch W, Siegers CP. Toxicity of kava pyrones, drug safety and precautions--a case study. Phytomedicine. (2003)
- ^ Sarris J, et al. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum. Psychopharmacology (Berl). (2009)
- ^ a b c Clouatre DL. Kava kava: examining new reports of toxicity. Toxicol Lett. (2004)
- ^ Russmann S, Lauterburg BH, Helbling A. Kava hepatotoxicity. Ann Intern Med. (2001)
- ^ Humberston CL, Akhtar J, Krenzelok EP. Acute hepatitis induced by kava kava. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. (2003)
- ^ Gow PJ, et al. Fatal fulminant hepatic failure induced by a natural therapy containing kava. Med J Aust. (2003)
- ^ Sorrentino L, Capasso A, Schmidt M. Safety of ethanolic kava extract: Results of a study of chronic toxicity in rats. Phytomedicine. (2006)
- ^ Singh YN, Devkota AK. Aqueous kava extracts do not affect liver function tests in rats. Planta Med. (2003)
- ^ Clough AR, et al. Health effects of kava use in an eastern Arnhem Land Aboriginal community. Intern Med J. (2003)
- ^ a b Guro-Razuman S, et al. Dermatomyositis-like illness following kava-kava ingestion. J Clin Rheumatol. (1999)
- ^ Norton SA, Ruze P. Kava dermopathy. J Am Acad Dermatol. (1994)
- ^ Ruze P. Kava-induced dermopathy: a niacin deficiency. Lancet. (1990)
- ^ Ernst E. Adverse effects of herbal drugs in dermatology. Br J Dermatol. (2000)
- ^ a b c Mathews JM, Etheridge AS, Black SR. Inhibition of human cytochrome P450 activities by kava extract and kavalactones. Drug Metab Dispos. (2002)
- ^ Zou L, et al. Effects of kava (Kava-kava, 'Awa, Yaqona, Piper methysticum) on c-DNA-expressed cytochrome P450 enzymes and human cryopreserved hepatocytes. Phytomedicine. (2004)
- ^ Unger M, et al. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4 by extracts and kavalactones of Piper methysticum (Kava-Kava). Planta Med. (2002)
- ^ Gurley BJ, et al. Supplementation with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), but not kava kava (Piper methysticum), inhibits human CYP3A activity in vivo. Clin Pharmacol Ther. (2008)
- ^ Effect of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and kava kava (Piper methysticum) supplementation on digoxin pharmacokinetics in humans.
- ^ Pittler MH, Ernst E. Efficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychopharmacol. (2000)
- ^ Hsu SY, et al. Toxicologic studies of dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain and 5,6-dehydrokawain. Planta Med. (1994)
- Volz HP, Kieser M. Kava-kava extract WS 1490 versus placebo in anxiety disorders--a randomized placebo-controlled 25-week outpatient trial. Pharmacopsychiatry. (1997)
- Lehrl S. Clinical efficacy of kava extract WS 1490 in sleep disturbances associated with anxiety disorders. Results of a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. J Affect Disord. (2004)
- Geier FP, Konstantinowicz T. Kava treatment in patients with anxiety. Phytother Res. (2004)
- Gastpar M, Klimm HD. Treatment of anxiety, tension and restlessness states with Kava special extract WS 1490 in general practice: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind multicenter trial. Phytomedicine. (2003)
- Connor KM, Davidson JR. A placebo-controlled study of Kava kava in generalized anxiety disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. (2002)
- Wheatley D. Kava and valerian in the treatment of stress-induced insomnia. Phytother Res. (2001)