Kava: A Natural Alternative To Anxiety Medication?
Kava (Piper Methysticum), also known as awa, ava and yaqona, is a crop native to the South Pacific and is a member of the pepper family.
The plant sports relatively large, heart-shaped leaves, which accompany
slender flower blossoms that reside at the intersections where the
branch and stems meet. However, the kava plant has earned its status due
to what resides within its hairy, woody roots.
Kava has been used in traditional, tribal settings on the islands of Fiji, Micronesia and Polynesia for hundreds of years.
These cultures use the psychoactive beverage as a social and ceremonial
offering in a way that’s often compared to how wine is used and
consumed in European countries. Traditionally, after being harvested,
the root is then pulverized, ground (often by mouth) and
shredded. The herbal preparation is then repetitively strained into a
bowl using a cold water extraction method, before being served in, and
drunk out of, a half coconut shell. This preparation is enjoyed
reverently due to its calming and sedating qualities. Because of these
effects, growing evidence is starting to support claims that kava is
useful for those suffering from insomnia, high stress, depression and
anxiety. Interestingly, kava is proving to be as effective at dissolving
anxiety as pharmaceutical drugs that are often prescribed for this
condition.
The array of active ingredients responsible for the psychoactive
effects of kava are known to science as kavaclones. These chemicals
include compounds such as dihydrokavain, methysticum and kawaii, all of
which have been thoroughly studied
in laboratory settings. As a result, there’s empirical evidence that
these compounds promote sleep, decrease convulsions and relax muscles in
animals. The chemicals described have also shown to be effective
painkillers, which is associated with the temporary numbness of the
tongue that kava beverages induce when
drunk. A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study conducted
by The University of Melbourne in Australia found kava to be
significantly more effective than a placebo at reducing anxiety in a
group of 75 participants, all of whom were diagnosed with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder).
