Medical Questions » Alternative Medicine Questions » Question No. 1418
| Question: | I' ve heard kava described as ' Hawaii in a bottle' . What' s your view? |
| Answer: | Kava is probably why Pacific islanders are so chilled out: it can help relax both muscles and emotions, reduce excessive mind chatter, increase mental focus and expand overall awareness, all without causing addiction. Research shows that kava works just as well as well as Valium, but you don' t need to keep increasing the dose to get the same effect, and there are no withdrawal problems when you stop taking it. It is great for specific anxiety-producing situations such as a job interview, or a final exam, where you want to be both calm and alert.
Note that at the moment, kava is banned in the UK due to a very small number of people with compromised livers or alcohol problems, or who were on liver-toxic medication, who also took kava and developed symptoms related to liver problems (see also ' Can kava damage your liver' , below). Kava is not banned in the US.
The active ingredients in kava are called kavalactones. The taste is quite strong, and causes a brief numbing of the mouth and tongue. The recommended daily adult dose is 60 to 75 mg of kavalactones, taken two to three times daily - equivalent to 200 to 250 mg of standardized extract containing 30 per cent kavalactones. For sleep, getting high or an instant chill out, try double this amount. Don' t combine with alcohol. |
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