Kava

Believed to originate from Melanesia, Kava is an age-old herbal drink favored by royal families of the South Pacific. Where the plant is abundant in the sun-drenched islands of Polynesia, natives drank kava for hundreds of years.

In 1768-1771, the voyager Captain James Cook and his crew were among the first white men who encountered the plant. According to Cook, kava was consumed in sacred ceremonies. Natives chewed or pounded the root and mixed it with water to produce a brew that is brownish and often bitter in taste which they then drink for its psychoactive properties.

As with many traditional plants, folklore and myths surround kava and its properties. In Oceania, kava is regarded as a gift from the gods given to man so that he might gain insight into the unknown while attending to the realities of the present.

A Tongan legend relates the story of a couple. In a time of drought, Feva’anga and his wife killed their daughter who is a leper in order to feed the chief of their village. But instead, the chief told Feva’anga to bury the body and bring back the plant that grows on the grave. Weeks after, a plant indeed grew from the leper’s grave. It was observed later that a mouse chewed on the root of the plant, fell into a coma, and reawakened. This became the origins of the powers of the kava plant as an intoxicant.

The Plant

Kava bears the botanical name of Piper methysticum. Sometimes called kava-kava or awa, the kava plant belongs to the pepper family Piperacea. It thrives in tropical areas and is in great abundance in the islands of Melanesia, particularly Vanuatu and Fiji, and the Polynesian islands. The kava is a shrub, growing up to 3 meters high with many stems. The leaves of the kava plant are green with large blades and circular in shape.

Health Benefits

Kava was widely used throughout Oceania and other Pacific islands as a relaxant. Kava was said to have properties that could calm nerves, induce relaxation and sleep, and fight fatigue. It was also drunk as a diuretic to unclog urinary tracts and relieve asthma and rheumatism. People suffering from headaches, cramps, syphilis and gonorrhea were said to benefit by drinking kava. The plant is believed to restore strength and many islanders drink it for that reason. It could also provide a soothing effect for stomach pains and cure such ailments as boils.

The basic part of the kava plant that is used for medicinal purposes is the root, but some people also use the leaves which have healing properties of their own. Some people fumigated the leaves and used the extract to treat general illnesses.

As early as 1886, scientific records mentioned kava as a nonprescription drug to reduce anxiety. Today, kava root is touted as a natural tranquilizer. The bitter-tasting drink is wildly available as a supplement to provide relief to some people who are seeking alternatives to prescription drugs.

Recent clinical studies show evidence that the herb kava is non-addictive, making it safe to use as a drug to relieve anxiety. Based on comparative studies, kava was found to be as effective as prescription anxiety agents containing benzodiazepines such as valium, and perhaps even better. Studies have shown that kava can improve concentration, memory, and reaction time for people suffering from anxiety while benzodiazepines tend to promote lethargy and mental impairment. Kava has therefore become a means of achieving a state of relaxation minus the adverse side effects.