Is Kava from China Dangerous?

Kava from China DangerousI understand that asking if Kava from China is dangerous is a very broad statement for a very broad market. And, after interviews with Kava importers as well as Wonderland Labs (a testing facility that specializes in testing Kava), the results were quite consistent across the board. From more than a dozen testing results from various China-based companies selling Kava in various forms, from powders to Kavalactone extracts in various strengths, the results fell into 2 main categories.

The Kavalactone lineup for 85% of all the Kava we studied from China had a Kavalactone lineup of 2-5-3, and a consistent Kavalactone content of about 11%. Most of this Kava root was advertised as “Noble” Kava root, although 2-5-3 lineups are almost exclusively Tudei Kava. Tudei Kava is actually a non-noble variety of Kava. Another 15% had a consistent Kavalactone lineup of 2-4-3, which is actually consistent with Noble Kava from Vanuatu or possibly Fiji.

Equally as interesting, though, is that the advertised percentages of Kavalactone within the test samples were almost always half of the actual Kavalactone content. When confronted with this information, we were told that the manufacturer’s testing shows results that are quite different than the confirmed results we found.

So, what about the 2-5-3 Kavalactone lineup? It tests out as a non-noble variety of Kava. Most Kava connoisseurs prefer Noble Kava root, which is somewhat analogous to single malt liquors or single origin coffees. Noble Kava root can usually be traced to a very specific geographical location in the world, and is typically thought to be a more “pure” form of Kava. for example, Hawaiian Kava has about 13 major varieties, all of which are a Noble kava root. Varieties such as Ne Ne, M’oa, and Mahakea each have very different characteristics, and typically have different Kavalactone lineups.

But, recent research has shown that Tudei Kava and its FKB content has several key health benefits in the amounts consumed by Kava drinkers.

Read on…

Tudei Kava on the other hand, has the same Kavalactone lineup no matter where it grows in the world. Tudei Kava is a faster growing Kava that typically has thicker rootstock. When the Kava market was exploding in the 1990’s, a lot of farmers were having difficulty keeping up with demand, and switched their crops to Tudei Kava. So, what’s wrong with Tudei Kava, one might ask?

The major constituents of ethanolic kava root extract are kavalactones, including kawain, dihydrokawain, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, yangonin, and desmethoxyyangonin. Kava root extracts also contain chalcones, including flavokawain A, flavokawain B, and flavokawain C. We initially screened all 6 major kavalactones and 3 chalcones for cytotoxicity toward HepG2 hepatoma cells using MTT assays. None of the kavalactones, except yangonin, exhibited toxicity at concentrations up to 150 μM.

Tudei Kava is known to have larger amounts of Flavokawain A and Flavokawain B (sometimes spelled Flavokavain) than most Noble Kava root. With all of the controversy over extremely rare cases of liver damage with Kava consumption, recently, flavokavain B is emerging as a possible link to that rare liver damage. In study published in the US National Library of Medicine, they had this to say about Flavokawain B (FKB):

Interestingly, all other compounds tested, including FKA and yangonin, failed to induce cell death in L-02 cells (data not shown). FKB (Fig. 1B) was therefore chosen for further investigation, not only because it was a more potent cytotoxin in liver cells as compared to FKC, but also because FKB was >20-fold more abundant than FKC in acetone or ethanol extracts of kava.

Before anyone gets in an uproar though, it’s important to note two key items:

  1. What SOLVENT IS USED to extract Kava.
  2. The AMOUNT of Flavokawain-B that needs to be present to cause this cell damage.

Water, the most common extraction method for Kava, is considered a solvent, and therefore, is included on the below chart. What the chart shows, is that very little Flavokawain-B is extracted from Kava when it’s extracted by water. This is of critical importance, especially when researching what the Kava products you choose to purchase were extracted into. Take a look at the chart below:

flavokawain b extraction chart

Out of 46.6mg/g of Kavalactones extracted into water, there was only 0.2mg/g of FKB. In a full day’s serving of 290mg of Kavalactone as recommended by the FDA, that’s only 1.2mg TOTAL Flavokawain-B in your entire day’s Kava serving.

So, let’s take a look at what amounts were measured in the trials: In the quoted study, mice were orally administered FKB in amounts that are equal to 25mg/kg body weight daily for 1 week. Since a mouse weighs about 0.02kg, that means about 0.5mg of FKB were administered per day for a week.

Translating 25mg/kg of weight into human terms, for a 125lb/57kg person that’s 1425mg of FKB every single day for a week. For a 165lb/75kg person that’s 1875mg of FKB every single day for an entire week.

Let’s look at these astounding numbers for a second: So, even if a human consumed several water-based shells of Kava a day (a typical “shell” of Kava contains about 120mg of Kavalactone), they would only be consuming about 1.2mg of FKB in total. That’s about 1,375 times LESS FKB that induced the reported cell death in mice. Even if you had a full day’s serving of Kavalactone per shell (about 290mg per shell) and still drank several shells a day (rarely happens, even with experienced Kava drinkers), that’s still about 458 times less FKB that induced cell death in mice.

To put this another way, to achieve the same levels of toxicity that were done in the quoted study, a person of average weight would have to consume over 1,000 shells of Kava every day for an entire week. Yes, the argument can be made that over time, damage could accumulate, but that’s not how FKB operates. FKB was shown to be dangerous only in extremely large doses, administered daily over the course of a week. It doesn’t “store up” in the human body, and get more toxic over time.

What does this mean for the average consumer of Kava: If you don’t drink Kava, and a lot of it every day, there is little to no evidence that Kava is hepatotoxic in the amounts you would be consumed. If you happened to purchase some bad product from a shady vendor that was extracted into ethanol, you would still need to consume about 100 shells of Kava in a single day, for an entire week to have the same effects that were shown in the study.

So, if much of the Kava coming out of China is actually 2-5-3 and considered Tudei Kava, is it dangerous to consume? It’s only my very non-scientific opinion, but from the various amounts of evidence I’ve gathered, I would have to say no. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking for Noble varieties of Kava root from a reputable vendor when you’re looking to purchase Kava, but it means that Tudei Kava doesn’t appear to be as dangerous as some of the media hype has made it out to be.

In fact, in that same study, they stated this:

Controlling the levels of FKB in kava products by modifying existent extraction methods or possibly by genetically modifying FKB biosynthesis should in principle reduce, if not eliminate, those rare hepatotoxic effects observed in consumers of kava root extracts.

What they are referring to is Kava that is extracted into water. Most consumers are extracting their Kava into water, so it appears that even though this study does show hepatoxicity with levels of FKB that no consumer would be able to physically ingest, even the levels of FKB that could potentially exist in water-based extracts do not appear to be harmful.

As a further note, they also concluded this:

Kavalactones have been proposed to account for kava-induced liver toxicity, but no noticeable toxicity was observed in rats fed with kavalactones (>500 mg/kg, daily for 4 wk). In agreement with this in vivo observation, our data showed that indeed kavalactones had no significant effects on the viability of selected liver cell lines.

This is true for any Kava, whether it’s a Noble variety or the Tudei variety, and this is good news for Kava, wherever in the world it comes from.

Flavokawain B’s Health Benefits?

Now, this will likely be more controversial than any of the other statements in this article, but there’s a peer reviewed study from January 20, 2016 that has concluded that the amounts of Flavokawain B (FKB) contained in the amounts of Kava an average consumer might typically ingest, are not harmful, but protective to our health. Some may find this difficult to believe, but the evidence couldn’t be any clearer. I have taken three of the most definitive conclusions from the study:

Flavokawains promote an adaptive cellular response that protects hepatocytes against oxidative stress. We propose that FKA has potential as a chemopreventative or
chemotherapeutic agent.

And secondly:

Both flavokawains activated Nrf2, increasing HMOX1 and GCLC expression and enhancing total glutathione levels over 2-fold (p < 0.05).

And third:

Calculations by Teschke et al. have shown that the dose of FKB obtained from an ethanolic kava extract is 250-fold below the amount needed to cause modest hepatotoxicity, based on rodent studies (Teschke et al. 2011).

Ths should give plenty of fodder for discussion for those who remain convinced that Tudei Kava is the scourge of the Kava world…

Mahalo,
Kava.Guru

P.S. Read a similar article on Tudei Kava and Flavokawain B called “Is Flavokawain B Dangerous?” to find out more.

Lab Certified Kava – Does It Really Matter?

Kava for Beginners Ultimate GuideOne of the questions I’m getting asked more and more these days is whether “lab certified Kava” means anything. After all, Kava is a natural plant product that grows in places like Hawaii, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and a few other places. That means it’s mostly untouched by the perils of the modern world right? Well, after just a bit of investigation, the answer is a resounding; “Yes, Lab Certified Kava is critically important to your health.” Whether or not the Kava you are purchasing has been tested in a lab and manufactured in an FDA-compliant facility, it can mean the difference between a pleasant experience and an upset stomach, or worse; a trip to the hospital.

Before anyone sounds alarms of me being alarmist, let me present the facts.

First, I went to Amazon.com and purchased 6 random samples of Kava. I wasn’t too particular, I just wanted to get a wide range of Kava products. I purchased ones that appeared to be very “official” and also had claims of “GMP Kava.” I also purchased ones that said “Lab Certified Kava”, as well as ones that didn’t appear to have any Supplement Facts on them whatsoever. (Supplement Facts are required by the FDA for any consumable product.) I got what I felt was a “representative” selection of Kava products.

Let’s first take a brief class on what the different terminologies mean:

“Lab Certified Kava” – This means any Kava was sent to a lab that can test for things that the FDA requires of all dietary supplements. The typical tests are biological (testing for mold, yeast, Salmonella, E. coli, and a few other pathogens). Kava is a root, and because of that, it spends most of its life underground. Dirt, at least these days, isn’t as harmless as it used to be. Chemicals leech into the water table, and contaminants that get released into the air and get into rain. The Earth itself builds up contaminants over repeated cycles of growing and harvesting. So, getting Kava tested in a lab, and subsequently lab certified Kava is an absolute must for anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells Kava at a retail level.

And although not every retailer understands, even if the Kava from a supplier was actually lab certified Kava, that’s not actually acceptable to the FDA. Every person who holds Kava for distribution is required to get their Kava tested in a lab to verify the and confirm the results that they were provided with by their supplier. And this is a requirement for every single batch that’s made. With smaller companies and smaller batches, costs just for testing and getting their lab certified Kava into the marketplace can be an astronomically costly undertaking.

Another integral part of the lab certified Kava picture, is testing for heavy metals in Kava. Again, dirt itself may contain trace amounts of a number of contaminants that occur naturally, or were introduced into the ground from various means. Typically, heavy metals testing for Kava consists of Arsenic Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury. The FDA has set up very specific limits of what is acceptable for both food and dietary supplements. In the Kava we’ve tested. In the Kava that Wonderland-Labs tested (a lab that specializes in Kava testing), it appeared to be extremely rare for Kava roots to contain heavy metals.

Biological contamination is another story, though.

“GMP Manufactured Kava” – This is another term that seems to be getting abused recently. Food and dietary supplements need to be manufactured under very strict conditions, to be legally sold in the marketplace. This set of extremely rigorous rules only continues to get stricter. The FDA is making it increasingly difficult for small businesses to survive as a result. For a Kava product to be truly “GMP manufactured”, any facility must follow a very strict set of procedures. They must also maintain a specific level of cleanliness and sterility in their manufacturing facility. This includes ensuring that every product offered in the marketplace has been “lab certified”. And this isn’t just for the initial product supplied from the manufacturer; every individual type of product must have a “Certificate of Analysis” accompanying it.

With costs for complete safety testing and identification of Kava, each product can cost up to $500.00 per product. For a company that has, say 24 different Kava products, you can see how the testing alone can get very costly. From our interviews, this is causing smaller companies to cut corners, and subsequently, to allow less safe Kava into the marketplace.

Now that we know the main terminology, let’s take a look at some actual testing results. All of our examples come from a lab that specializes in testing Kava. I trust their expertise. And, with literally thousands of test results from virtually every brand of Kava, they seem to be an authority on lab certified Kava. I also know them personally.

O.K., let’s get back to those 6 Kava samples chosen at random.

Lab Certified Kava Biological Testing

And then, the additional biological testing:
lab-certified-additional-bio

Nearly all of the samples came up as safe, or at least safe enough, which was quite a relief. But, out of the 6 Kava samples, one had dangerous levels of a biological contaminant. This could mean at least an upset stomach, or worse; a trip to the emergency room:

Kava Labs Results Danger

I want to stress that I’m not here to be alarmist; these are real results from a random sampling of real Kava on Amazon.com. Also, despite repeated requests, I’m not going to reveal the sources of our samples. Each Kava company has been alerted to the testing results, and we have asked for a follow-up regarding their remedy to this situation.

There are difficulties with Kava safety. Kavalactones start to break down after just 20 minutes in heat above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional means of pasteurization of irradiation can’t happen for Kava as a result. This makes it even more imperative that any Kava be handled with the utmost care, from farm to your stomach.

The new American Kava Association hoping to make a difference in Kava testing. They require testing of every Kava product by every member. this forces companies to adhere to the strict manufacturing standards that the FDA requires of every dietary supplement manufacturer. They also offer a number of benefits for their members. This includes Kava testing at reduced prices for any member, trusted Kava suppliers, and knowledge that they are part of an organization devoted to Kava safety.

Lab Certified Kava Conclusions

Even our cursory study has shown how critically important it is for Kava to be lab certified. Look for the American Kava Association logo on any retailer offering Kava. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when making your Kava purchases. Don’t be afraid to ask if the Kava is manufactured in a GMP facility. Ask for a bit of a description of the process they employ to ensure the safety of their Kava products. Anyone who truly does manufacture their Kava in a GMP manufacturing facility, will be able to share enough details of their process to assure you that their Kava is what they say it is.

Also, Wonderland-Labs offers free Kava testing for anyone who has become sick from any Kava they have purchased. This is simply a courtesy to the consumer. Hopefully you’ll never have to take them up on their offer. But it’s comforting to know that there’s someone out there looking out for the Kava consumer.

What About Growing Kava Cuttings?

Growing Kava Cuttings

I often get asked about growing Kava cuttings. With over 20 years of working with Kava plants, I’ve got a number of techniques that have proven successful to me. Despite that, though, I’m still torn on whether planting cuttings horizontally or vertically produces the most reliable new Kava plants. I’ll explain as we go. If you are interested in kava plants, you may wish to have a look at them in your local hardware store.

As many of us already know, Kava is a sterile plant. That means that it produces no seeds, although it still produces strange-looking flowers that look like long, skinny bananas, they serve no purpose, other than to perhaps provide a temporary home for a few insects – be careful they don’t actually ruin your plant though, otherwise you might have to call out https://www.lawncare.net/service-areas/new-york/ (or someone similar) to come and deal with the problem. You need to make sure our plant is healthy and pest free to ensure proper growth!

Having said that, the topic at the moment is growing Kava from cuttings, and insects may not necessarily thrive off that. This is the only way Kava is known to propagate. And, it’s important to understand that Kava will only grow from very specific cuttings: They need to be taken from the main stems of the plant.

Wild Dagga Flower

Many plants can grow from any random cutting taken from anywhere on the plant. One of my favorite plants to propagate is Wild Dagga. Not only does it produce a copious amount of seeds, I can take cuttings from just about anywhere on the plant, stick them in water, and roots will start to appear within just a few days.

Kava Stem Nodes

Kava, on the other hand, needs to have at least 1 major node in any cutting you take, and preferably 2 nodes. A node is really easy to see. Take a look at the photo to the left. the left-hand stem is the new Kava plant that grew out of the stem on the right-side. The plant on the right side was placed into the soil vertically. It was a cutting that had two nodes to begin with. I’ve planted cuttings vertically in the past, directly into the soil, but I don’t always get the best results. The root bundle tends to be a bit thin, and they don’t usually take very well when transplanted.

On the other hand, when I take a two-node cutting and place it into a cloner, especially one that uses aeroponics instead of hydroponics,

Aeroponic Kava Cutting

the root bundle flourishes. Take a look at the image to the right. This is from a short two-node cutting of a Hawaiian Nene Kava plant. The root bundle is an explosion of strands, and reacts great to being placed in a rich soil. Some people may not need to grow their plants in this type of soil as if they decide to use hydroponics, the plants are able to grow from the mineral nutrient solutions that can be found in a water solvent. Most gardeners tend to grow their plants in soil though, but hydroponics can be used as an alternative method to help plants grow efficiently.

So this is a check in the “pro vertical cutting” column of Kava plant propagation, but only because of the help of an aeroponics-based cloner. (Speaking of, any aeroponics cloner seems to work just as efficiently as the next. I know I’ll get questions about which cloner is the best cloner, but I just choose the one that seems the most reasonably priced, and with the number of cloning sites that I need, in the space I have.) I have to admit that when space is limited, sprouting new Kava plants from any sized two-node cutting is a joy with the assistance of a cloner.

Growing Kava from Cuttings

So, it doesn’t hurt to make a few cuttings and try out a few different methods to see which one works for you. Another very efficient method (and one I’ve had the most luck with outside of aeroponic Kava growing, is horizontal planting). I also like this method because it feels the most natural to me. With just a little effort, and a box full of rich soil, you can get a bunch of Kava shoots in just a few weeks. Take a look at the image to the left. In about 3″ of well-drained, and very rich soil, mixed very well with plenty of Perlite, I placed several single and double node Kava stem cuttings. Both the single and the double node cuttings bore shoots, but the double node plants seemed to produce stronger shoots.

Two Node Cutting

The single node still worked, but the shoots were a little more sickly. If you’ve got a lot of parent plant to choose from, I’d say to try both yourself to see what works best for you. The aeroponic Kava cutting in the thumbnail above had 3 nodes to start with, and consistently, the three node cuttings produced stronger new plants with larger root bundles time and time again. I’m not a botanist, but my guess is that when there are two or more nodes, the core systems of the plant are sealed in between the nodes, perhaps better protecting the plant and any new growth? It also allows the plant to split responsibilities; one node can handle roots, and the other can handle making the new Kava plant. Take a look at the thumbnail to the right; that’s a two node cutting placed directly in the soil. Notice the shoot at the top node. Again, I’m not sure why these produce better results than new Kava plants made from single nodes, but that’s how it’s worked for me time and time again.

As with Kava in general, plants prefer about 30% shade. This seems to be especially true with new Kava cuttings. It’s tempting to give them tons of light, but young Kava plants tend to burn easily. They’re strong plants in general, but they are fussy in a few key areas, and sun is definitely one of them. The good news is that once a plant is mature, you can accelerate the growth by moving them to more sun. I’ve had Kava plants about a year old that were placed into direct sunlight, and they showed accelerated growth over the ones in 30% shade, without any noticeable negative effects. With that in mind, just think about how many Kava plants can be grown in an environment as big as a commercial greenhouse for instance. Growing them in a place similar to this may mean that they will always have access to direct sunlight which can help them to grow at a quicker rate and with the reduced likelihood of any negative effects from the shade. The roots were also slightly larger, which, with Kava, is usually the goal.

When can you actually take new cuttings from a Kava mother plant?

I’ve tried all different time frames to see which one made the best shoots. In my mind, thought that perhaps young plants were more pliable, and that younger Kava plants would make better new Kava plants. I also thought that perhaps mature plants are more established, that they could stand up to being cut and stuck into soil better. After testing out numerous Kava plants at different ages; from 6 months all the way up to about 5 years, I didn’t actually notice much of a difference in success rate. What mattered far more was the method of propagating the new cuttings. And, the downside to using younger Kava plants (6 months or less), is that you have a lot less plant to work with. On a mature plant, you’ve got a number of sections to choose from, and you can cut down an entire stalk, knowing that there are plenty left for the plant to flourish.

On a younger Kava plant, there are fewer sections, and cutting an entire Kava stalk from the plant may have a more detrimental effect on the overall health of the plant. I personally haven’t seen a plant suffer from cutting one of just two stalks, but older plants definitely have many more candidates to pick from, and you’ll have more Kava plant left when you’ve taken a new round of cuttings. The bottom line is growing Kava cuttings is a fun and rewarding experience on many levels. Kava plants aren’t always easy to come by, so having your own collection of Mother Plants to choose from ensures you’ll have plenty of freshly-harvested Kava root to pick from.

To me, there’s nothing better than fresh Kava root. Yes, dried root still has all the pleasurable effects, but it is definitely more permeating and pleasant of an experience with fresh roots. Perhaps the inherent Kavalactone content is greater, but then perhaps something is lost in the drying process. Either way, few things have brought me more joy than my first shell of Kava made from freshly-harvested Kava roots from plants that I tended to myself. I’d love to hear about your Kava growing experiences below, and the best of luck to you if you decide to try.

Mahalo,
Kava.Guru

How to Make Strong Kava

How to Make Strong KavaHow to Make Strong Kava

This is a question I’ve asked quite often: how can I make my Kava stronger?

First, let’s think about what makes Kava into something our bodies can be affected by. If you don’t know, Kava is traditionally extracted into water or coconut water. There are many variations on this. But it makes sense to understand that the active component of Kava is Kavalactone. And, lactones dissolve in fats best and not water.

Traditional Water Extractions

So, why does tradition tell us to extract Kava into water? Well, part of the reason is because traditionally, Kava was first chewed by the female members of a family. They then spit the masticated Kava into a community bowl. So, it makes sense that since saliva is water-based that the drink made from this chewing would need to be water-based as well. I’m not saying this is the actual reason why traditional Kava drinks are extracted into water, but this sounds like a viable theory to me.

Another reason may be because liquids with fats in them may not be as easily consumed as liquids that are water-based. Kava Is made for gulping, so what sounds more enticing to you – gulping down a cup of water or trying to gulp down a cup of heavy cream? It’s also important to remember that making a drink from powdered Kava roots will thicken whatever liquid it’s extracted into by its very nature. Kava is a natural thickener, so if you are starting with a thick liquid, the final drink will likely be difficult to consume.

Knowing what we’re up against, what are our options?

Something With Fats In It

Well, luckily, lactone is about 10% of the total Kava material. So, what might make sense is to extract that into a mix of 90% water and 10% of whole milk, or something like 50% water and 50% of almond or soy milk. Either will help the extraction process out. Kava will extract into water, just not as effectively as into fats or oils. The problem is that oil and fats do not play well together. So the fat-containing liquid we choose should blend well with water. This blending effect is known as emulsifying. If we try to mix olive oil with water, they will quickly want to separate. But, if we mix milk with water it is a different story. This is because the facts in the milk are already emulsified.

Emulsified liquids make very efficient and potent extractors for your Kava powder.

So, one way of making strong Kava is to first pick a fat-containing liquid that you like to drink. Pure coconut milk and whole milk (or cream) contain the most fat, but neither are something everyone enjoys drinking. Also, it doesn’t take a super fatty liquid to extract most of the Kavalactones out of your Kava, so whole milk, coconut milk, and pure cream is a bit of overkill. Personally, I enjoy almond milk or soy milk equally. Even though their fat content is much less than something like whole milk or pure coconut milk, my homemade shells of Kava are plenty strong.

Having said that, some of my favorite Kava experiences were from drinks made with vanilla coconut water and Kava powder, and no milk whatsoever.

As a general rule, though, the lighter the fat-containing liquid you choose (like soy milk or almond milk), you may want to use a higher ratio of that to water. As mentioned earlier, I do a 50%-50% water-almond milk blend since soy and almond milk have much less fat than whole milk. If I use pure coconut milk, I only use about a 95% water and a 5% coconut milk blend. It’s not required that your fatty liquid blend well with your water, but it will make for a much more pleasant drink. That’s why milk of some kind if the perfect choice, whether it’s cow, soy, almond or coconut.

Kava Additives

Next, many may have heard of additives during a Kava extraction. The most common additives is soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is a fatty material perfect for extracting lactones out of Kava. Soy lecithin also blends well with water, and not much is necessary to make an extraction stronger. It also has a very neutral flavor to it, and is not noticeable at all when blended into a Kava drink. This has been a choice for as long as I can remember, and it works well if you’re looking for an initial “punch” to be as strong as possible.

Something that is relatively new to the market is a products sold on Kava.com called “Kava Blender“. This product is organic and plant-based. It has a very mild flavor to it, it suspends in water, and seems to be quite effective at pulling lactones out during an extraction. I have tried the Kava Blender side-by-side with soy lecithin, and honestly, I don’t have a preference. The good thing about the Kava Blender is that it blends very well with water. It disperses quite evenly and, especially when using a blender, it is very easy to work with. Soy lecithin on the other hand almost requires the blender, because this fatty material, even when using granules, doesn’t always evenly disperse.

Add More Kava

Here’s something I don’t want to overlook. It’s perhaps the most effective way to make a strong Kava drink: Add more Kava!

The FDA tends to be very conservative with servings, especially when it comes to Kava. There is no known overdose with Kava. And, despite the media hype over the past decade, the world health organization has determined that Kava, when extracted by traditional methods into water, has absolutely no measurable link to liver damage.

What this means for you, is that you can try larger amount when extracting. Lactones do not take up a lot of room in your extracted liquid, so it is possible to double, triple, or quadruple the amounts of, powder you initially start with. You will be able to extract nearly double, triple or quadruple the amount of lactones into your drink if you wish. Well, this isn’t quite the case, but it is one very easy way to make a stronger Kava drink without the use of any additives.

Heat Your Kava

Some people have asked if they could heat up their Kava to make it extract better. This is delicate territory as Kavalactones start to break down at just 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Mind you, I said “start” to break down. It’s not like all of your Kavalactones will suddenly lose its effectiveness the moment it touches 140 degrees. What happens definitely takes some time. That time is about 4 hours or so.

So, this may sound like blasphemy to some, but personal experience and loads of recipes from customers who have made Kava brownies, hot Kava tea and other wondrous treats, all have heated Kava way beyond the 140 degree mark. And, 100% of those people have also said that they were able to enjoy the full effects of Kava. This has been confirmed by a series of tests that Kava.com ran on their Kava and their sterilizer. They heated Kava powder to a series of temperatures, 10 degrees at a time, up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. What they found is that they could heat Kava powder almost indefinitely at 140 degrees without reducing the Kavalactone content, and about 30 minutes at 220 degrees. Wow!

So, although heating will eventually make your Kava less effective, you can experiment to your heart’s content. Be a mad scientist and play with your Kava! Try different things out. Make it a social event. Have fun and discover ways that work great for you, and makes a strong Kava drink that you can be proud of.

Add Stronger Kava

Okay, so this one might also seem obvious, but one of the most efficient ways to make a stronger Kava drink is to add stronger Kava to your Kava drink. Kona Kava Farm has two great products that are used just as much for making your Kava extractions have more “kick” as they are enjoyed on their own. These products are Kava Tincture Plus and Kavalactone Paste. [January 1, 2018 update: Kona Kava Farm now has Kava Tincture MAX 12% which is the strongest Kava product I’ve ever tested.]

Both can easily be added to your Kava extraction. Without question either will take it up a notch. But this is where I want to make something as clear as possible: KaAva isn’t necessarily meant to be the strongest possible punch in a single drink.

Kava is meant to be shared, to be enjoyed socially, to integrate into an evening of stories, conversation, music and fun. For me, I typically enjoy 3-4 shells of Kava in the course of an evening. And, the effects definitely “stack” on top of each other, as long as you gulp your Kava in the range of more than 1 per hour. At about 45 minutes, I’ll start on another shell, and it doesn’t take long to really start to feel the effects of Kava after that.

Kava headspace is definitely a unique and pleasant sensation, but driving isn’t always an option when that headspace kicks in. I’ve consumed Kava for nearly 20 years, and have tried every possible combination and form. But despite all of that, my favorite way to enjoy Kava, my favorite way to make strong Kava, is to simply consume more shells than one per hour over the course of an evening. It’s always been worth the sometimes bitter taste and the chalkiness.

In Conclusion

So, what options are typically available? Let’s review:

  • Extract into something oily or fatty (i.e. soy milk)
  • Use a natural additive (such as Kava Blender or Soy Lecithin)
  • Add more Kava (increase the amount of Kava you use)
  • Heat Your Kava Up!
  • Add something stronger (like Kava Tincture Plus or Kavalactone Paste)

Any of the above options are a good place to start. Since there are no hangovers, since it’s as safe as safe and be, I will typically consume 3-5 “shells” of Kava in an evening out. As previously mentioned, there is definitely a headspace that happens once one gets into their third, fourth, or even a fifth shell if the inspiration strikes. When consumed before the previous shell wears off, the effects can stack on top of each other, and things can get very interesting.

So, it’s not always about making as strong a drink as possible right off the bat. Kava likes you to relax, to take your time, to share with friends. So, Kava has made itself best enjoyed in gulps over the course of an evening, rather than doubling or tripling the amount of Kava you use in your efforts to make strong Kava for yourself or your friends. Maybe take the time to get to know Kava, to learn what its effects are, whether it’s a single shell, or several shells over the course of an evening. The Kava experience continues to surprise me in both the most subtle and the most obvious of ways. And, Kava has enriched my life and connected me with people and experiences that will last a lifetime. I hope you find the same.

Bottom line is to simply play, enjoy, and find the happiness that is within each shell of Kava!

Mahalo,
Kava.Guru

Kava Bar Listings

Kava Bar ListingsFree Kava Bar Listings – Interactive Kava Bar Locator

I’m very proud of our Kava Bar listings (Kava Bar Locator), and encourage anyone who knows of a Kava Bar or Kava Cafe they love, or anyone who owns one, to add an entry here.  Since there’s been some slight confusion on exactly how to make this happen, I thought a post on how to add a Kava Bar listing would be appropriate:

First, the page we’re talking about is our KAVA BAR LOCATOR page. The map is completely interactive, and zoomable worldwide.  Simply, click on any area of the map, click the plus or minus to zoom in or out, and you’ll be able to get as granular as you wish for finding a Kava bar in your area.

If there’s an area with a large number of Kava Bars, they’ll simply group into a single blue target as you can see in the image above.  For example, you can see that Florida is a hotspot for Kava Bars and Kava Cafe’s, as the blue zone makes it a snap to see.

If you’re a Kava Bar and want to add yourself to the map, please feel free to do so!  Be creative, write something that’s unique and will entice people to come to you.  We can add your listing for you if you send an email to me; Kava at Kava Guru.  What I do is grab your Facebook profile picture, and look for a good description if you don’t add one yourself. I’ll then look for a website, and add links to that as well.

If you’re interested in adding your listing yourself, just follow these simple instructions:

  • Scroll to the bottom of the page.
  • Add a Marker Title (Typically the Name of your Kava business)
  • Add a Marker Address (Format it however you wish…Google will know)
  • Add a Marker Description (Try to limit to 80 words or less)
  • Tick the box to prove you’re a human
  • Click the “ADD MARKER” box to submit your entry

Now the Marker Description deserves a little discussion here.  The Kava Bar listings app can handle HTML or plain text. Any links will be converted to clickable links when they appear in the database.  So, even if you’re a little messy, fret not, as all entries need to be approved before they’ll appear.  And, we make sure they’re helping you to put your best Kava face forward.

Common Questions

Can I add a listing that’s not a Kava Bar? – Well, that entirely depends!  We welcome all kinds of Kava-related listings, but are currently focused on any establishment that offers Kava for sale.  So, it’s not limited to Kava Bars at all. If you’re a retail outlet who offers Kava in any form, we’d be happy to list you in the Kava Bar listings page.  If, at some point, things get too unwieldy, we already have plans for a separate page, but we’re far from that at the moment!

How long does it take you to approve my listing? – Good question! I tried to promise within 24 hours, but sometimes it can take me a little longer.  If you have an event you’re advertising and want your listing up immediately, sending me an email telling me that will get you approved quickly.

Can I modify my listing? – Of course.  You can’t currently do it on your own, but if there’s anything you need changed or updated, I’m happy to do it for you.

That’s it for now!  Thanks for sharing any links and for making it to the end of this post.  I make myself very available for questions, so please don’t hesitate to send off an email or to comment below.

Much Mischief,
Keith

Why I Love Kava

Hawaiian Kava LeavesINTRODUCTION
This is very broad question that I bring up because I’m curious to see what kind of responses I get. I know why I love Kava; not only has it helped reduce my anxiety at times in my life when nothing else helped, it just makes me feel good because of the effects of the plant, as well as the ritual itself, and it has enhanced my enjoyment of my life in general. Also, the effects that Kava has on me haven’t diminished in the least despite more than 2 decades of nearly daily Kava use, which has allowed Kava to help fuel my passions and desires for self-expression.
Part of my personal research and experimentation is with a watchful eye on my health. One of the things that I feel is a key factor in my ability to try so many different plant teachers and plant medicines is because of the attention I give to treating my body like the temple it is. I exercise every day, track it with Fitbit, and eat a healthy, semi-vegetarian diet with as much raw food as I can comfortably consume (including raw fish). I’m a pilot and have to get an in-depth medical exam every 2 years. Part of this exam is blood work, which I’m interested in because of my Kava use. With so much false information regarding potential liver damage from consuming Kava, as a near-daily drinker of Kava, I don’t even have raised enzyme levels in my liver, which translates into my liver being as healthy as a scan of my blood can determine.
MY FIRST KAVA EXPERIENCE
So, Kava for me is a very personal journey that went very public. When I get excited about something, I can’t help wanting to share it with as many people as possible. Kava is no exception. When I was first working with teacher plants, I voraciously inhaled, literally, every psychoactive plant I could find. I researched any and every plant that had an effect on consciousness or was considered a “Teacher Plant” in the literature. One of the plants I encountered was Kava. So, one random day, when I was sitting at home, queuing up a movie on DVD (The movie was “My Dinner With Andre”), I decided I was going to try some of the Kava that I had purchased from Kona Kava Farm.
I followed the instructions carefully; I purchased their “84% Kavalactone Paste” (which doesn’t exist anymore due to stricter FDA regulation of Kava). It said to make a pea-sized amount, and to simply eat it. I thought that such a small amount of this plant couldn’t really do that much, but, I always start small and work my way up. I also know that the FDA errs on the side of caution, and tend to double any dosage that is recommended by the FDA. Having a doctor in the family only confirms that; there are many medications that are “over the counter” in smaller doses, and by prescription only in larger doses. It can be the exact same medication, but it’s believed that only doctors are knowledgable enough to dole out larger doses of medication.
Today, though, I only went with the instructions, measured out my pea-sized serving (1/8th teaspoon), placed it under my tongue, sat down, and started my movie.
I wasn’t 5 minutes into the movie when I started to notice a few things: My tongue was numb. I hadn’t done a lot of research on Kava or Kavalactone Paste, so I didn’t know that part of knowing if you’ve got good Kava is that it will numb your mouth. Besides that, though, I was alone, the movie wasn’t a comedy, but I started to giggle. I never giggle. Sure, I like to laugh, I’ve been known to let out a guffaw or two, but giggle?
As the Kava set in, the giggles didn’t cease, and in my excitement that I had discovered something amazing, I only got more giggly. I stopped the movie, sat back and simply enjoyed the moment, I enjoyed being alive, and I was giddy for the next 45 minutes.
After that 45 minutes was up, I was already hooked. I went into the kitchen, tried another pea-sized amount, and sure enough, within minutes I was giddy again. That day began an amazing journey into meeting the mind behind Kona Kava Farm, buying her farm as she moved to Fiji to start a resort, and learning absolutely everything I could about Kava and the Kava biz.
KAVA AS A TEACHER PLANT
Teacher Plants demand one very specific thing from us; they demand patience. With today’s instant gratification just a tap or click away, I fear that the lessons of Teacher Plants are in danger of getting lost with us. We’re all racing around with our faces in screens, and if we don’t get punched in the face or knocked on our ass with something we ingest, it’s not good enough.
But Kava — Kava is far more subtle than that. Kava demands attention. It asks that you pay attention to it, that you take the time to understand the effects, to simply FEEL what it has to show you. And this, for me, is why I love Kava. It may sound odd and eccentric to modern ears, but in ancient times, shaman developed relationships with the plants that thy worked with. They took the time to get to know them. They would find “plant allies”; plants that they found useful effects with over time.
Kava is certainly one of those. And because of the very nature of Kava, it demands that you slow down to notice it’s powerfully subtle effects that can have a profound impact on one’s life…really!
When I took my initial 3 months to explore every facet of Kava, I was amazed at how little information I could find about its use ritualistically. I found some speculation about its use in Easter Island as a visionary plant, but it was only speculation. On an experiential level, though, working with Kava literally transformed my life in ways I am still grateful for today. I worked with it every 3 days, to give any tolerance a chance to reset itself. And, I purchased every form of Kava I could find at the time, following the instructions very carefully with each form I purchased.
Recently, I spent some time in Hawaii, working with a cultivar of Kava called “Hiwa”. It is supposed to be the most spiritual of the Kava’s, with the ability to open chakras and clear energy. So, I spent some time with Hiwa Kava when the opportunity arose. You can read about that in “Kava Experience – Hawaiian Kava” over at ENTHEOLOGY.
My favorite was the Kavalactone Paste, mixed with Powdered Kava Root. I found that if I doubled all of the recommended dosages, that the effects were far more noticeable, and much more to my liking. I worked with small amounts, up to amounts that were 8x the recommended dosage. When I am working with a Teacher Plant, there can be profound effects that occur at larger doses. One example is tobacco. On Machu Picchu, there are two man Teacher Plants; tobacco and Angel Trumpets. Both are powerful psychoactives, and tobacco was used as a Teacher Plant that, because in high doses, became very psychoactive. One of the rites of passage for boys becoming men, was to send them off into the mountains with a large amount of tobacco. They would consume the tobacco, which would produce visions at high enough doses. I wanted to know if Kava had the same effect, and with utmost respect, I began my journey.
EFFECTS OF KAVA
Something I found is that Kava is very dose-dependent, at least for me:
  • LOW DOSES: At lower doses, Kava can be a sleep aid. It can also help induce dreams as it makes one far more open to a dream state with its relaxing properties. I don’t get much of the inhibition-lowering aspects of Kava at lower doses, but I do get the sleepiness, relaxation, and some of the pain reduction effects. Especially for lower back pain, Kava can be extremely effective for me.
  • MIDDLE DOSES: at double the recommended dose, I could really see Kava starting to shine. The sleepiness waned, and a more profound sense of relaxation ensued. The pain-relieving properties were definitely there, but I got giddy, sociable, and wanted to immediately call up friends to share this experience. Also, and I don’t think it’s because it was reducing inhibitions, it was definitely making my creative process awaken, and move front and center. I wanted to make something, draw or paint something, or pick up my guitar and make some music. It was a very subtle, but exciting sensation.
  • LARGE DOES: When I worked with Kava over an evening, where I would take 4-6 “shells” of Kava, that’s when things get really interesting. With Kava bars becoming more and more popular, it’s not uncommon to have a night of Kava drinking, much like people enjoy a night of drinking alcohol. This, for me, is where Kava reaches its peak effects. I feel a sense of peace with the world. All of my aches and pains recede way into the distance. I no longer feel sleepy at all, but feel excited, social, and feel like “emotionally sharing” in a way that alcohol tends to do for people. I didn’t have any inkling of visions, but 4-6 shells of Kava over the course of a few hours is an entirely pleasant experience for me, whether I’m at home focused on making art of music, or out in a social setting with friends.
  • HIGH DOSES: If I don’t feel a “spiritual” side of a plant, I don’t take it in large doses. When I was first deciding whether or not to bring Kratom (into the country, I went through the same process as I did with Kava; I started small, and worked my way up to a very large dose by going through a trusted vendor list. That became very coldly psychedelic [DO I HAE AN ARTICLE ON THIS?], without any spiritual aspect of it whatsoever. It was devoid; I had very “cold” visions of cement and viaducts and icy cold water. It was not pleasant, and I decided never to venture there again. Your experience may differ, however, and it could be worth you asking “what is kratom” to make sure you understand the product. So, for these kinds of explorations, I always have someone qualified to sit with me, as I began my journey into a high dose of Kava. What happened to me was difficult to describe, even years later when I try to find ways to share the experience. Imagine being really excited and really relaxed at the same time. I felt energized, but not in a caffeine kind of way, simultaneously to feeling very relaxed. I felt great anticipation, but couldn’t say why or for what.. It was not entirely unpleasant, and I felt a very spiritual side of this sacred plant, but any visual effects weren’t anything like the ayahuasca I had worked with in the Peruvian Amazon. If you are looking for a very visual and deeper spiritual experience, then I would choose ayahuasca over kava. The best place to do this is to visit an ayahuasca retreat. When I’d close my eyes, my thoughts became very visual, very colorful, but not with any added intensity. I thought that if I spent a lot of time working with this plant at higher doses, I would likely be able to “sift through” all of these mental images and hone in on something specific, but I was uncomfortable enough that I simply put it aside and moved on to other aspects of Kava. I may yet revisit this side of Kava, but I was hoping to find some research somewhere, that spoke of using Kava in higher doses as a Teacher Plant for ritualistic purposes.
I’m very interested to hear from anyone else regarding their Kava experiences, or why they love Kava.
WHY I LOVE KAVA
In the end, Kava has become a very subtle part of my life on many levels. It can lift my spirits when I’m feeling a little down. It can help with my writer’s block when I’m writing. It can give me a kick in the pants when I am painting or working with photos. In small doses, and after a stressful da at work, it can really be a catalyst to help me relax, even for the simple fact that I have to slow down, extract the Kava, knead it carefully, and spend some time making my drink. I don’t have a lot of physical pain in my life at the moment, but I could see where Kava could be very effective for some in helping with pain.
Perhaps equally as important though, is the people I have met because of Kava. I’ve traveled to Vanuatu, Fiji, and Hawaii in search of Kava and stories about Kava. I realized the plight of Hawaii as the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown as they were forcefully annexed to the United States. I started to spend a lot more time in Hawaii, and found myself going to conferences with other Kava lovers. Getting to meet Uncle Jerry, Vince Lebot, and other luminaries was an absolute delight for me. I’ve had my hands in the ground at Kava camp, where I got to work with Kava plants taller than me, and root bundles that weighed more than my fully-loaded backpack during a research project. I’ve had the opportunity to share Kava with so many, and continue to be an avid supporter of Kava, despite having to give up both Kona Kava Farm and Kava.com in late 2013 due to a devastatingly unfair move by MasterCard as they took away my ability to process credit cards for 7 years over something I was 1000% innocent of.
Kava truly does bring people together, it helps lower inhibitions and increase a sense of well-being and love. It doesn’t connect me to nature as many plants do, what it does is connect me to people. I tend to be buried in writing most of the time, and Kava makes me want to leave my cave for a minute to take a look around, to share thoughts with friends, to get outside and enjoy the sunshine or the rain or the ocean that’s just outside my door. I have infinite respect for this plant, and know t will be an integral part of my world throughout my life. I am still exited to learn even more about this plant, its history, and have started growing my favorite strain; a Mahakea 4-2-6 plant with about 9% Kavalactone content. In 2017, there will be enough to sell to a few key online retailers.
Lastly, I’ve long been an avid fan of Lucid Dreaming. I have written about it a great deal on ENTHEOLOGY and DREAMHERBS. Recently, I have been experimenting with using Kava to help with dream recall, and the results are more than promising. I’m working on a Dreaming Blend to see if I can increase the effects that I get from another favorite teacher plant; Calea zacatechichi. As I’m writing this article, I just wrote one on Harvesting Calea Seeds over on DreamHerbs.com.
I just posted an sister article to this one called “Does Kava Have a Spiritual Side?” where I would be more than interested in any input. And, If you have personal experiences with Kava and dreaming, I’d love to hear more.
Peace & Aloha,
Keith

Kava Study for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Despite writing only referenced articles that are typically unemotional by nature, I find great joy in discovering and writing about studies that have to do with Kava. And, this one is a particularly interesting one to me because it claims to be the very first study that has conclusive evidence that Kava, like CBD oil, is an effective treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). All you need to know about CBD oil can be found by following the link.
The study is was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology; a reputable peer-reviewed journal. According to the study, despite Kava having shown it’s capability to reduce anxiety, there has been no placebo-controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of Kava in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Kava acts similarly to CBD Oil (more about thata here: https://www.neotericnutra.com/blog/using-cbd-oil-for-anxiety) and can really help someone going through anxiety. Others might also find that looking for professional help would be just as helpful with many places similar to Recovery Village who might be able to give information as well as help with anxiety disorder as well as other mental health issues.

Kava (piper methysticum) is a plant-based medicine, which has been previously shown to reduce anxiety.

In short, the study revealed this:

Short-term administration of kava significantly reduced participants’ anxiety on the HAMA (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) with a large effect size.

Conducted at the University of Melbourne, researchers also found that Kava may be effective as an alternative to pharmaceutical products for the thousands of Australians who struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD). The lead researcher; Dr. Jerome Sarris stated that existing medications to help treat this complex disorder are few, and that “because of this, more treatment options are required.” Benzodiazepines and selective serotonin repute inhibitors (SSRI’s) are at the top of the treatment option list, followed by pregabalin and hydroxyzine. CBD and Kava are not the only alternatives to traditional medicines, different strains of marijuana are used and can be taken in many ways, from smoking it to gummies. Sites like mykush can provide this to people who are in need and have consulted with a doctor.

He went on to say that “Plant-based medicines may provide a potential pharmacotherapeutic option, as evidenced by a recent positive, double-blind, Randomized Controlled sTudy (RCT) using Chamomile for GAD.” For someone not a complete stranger to anxiety issues, and who is as passionate about Kava as I am, this is extremely exciting news.

Another interesting point is the type of Kava that was used for this study. In 2007, the World Health Organization published a study the size of a book called “Assessment of the Risk of Hepatotoxicity With Kava Products”. In their summary (point 11), they stated that they could find absolutely no connection between liver damage and water-based extractions of Kava. Because of this finding, it’s not surprising that this study used an “aqueous extract of kava (120/240mg) of kavalactones per day, depending on the response.” This was from peeled rootstock of a noble variety, likely from Vanuatu. The daily amount that the FDA recommends is 290mg, so they were well within the daily limits established by multiple agencies.

Also, for those who are interested in the “numbers” of kavalactones, the analysis of the kavalactones in the material administered during the study, revealed it was a 2-4-5 lineup. This means that dihydrokavain was most prevalent at 15.5mg or 26%, followed by kavain at 12.5mg or 21%, with dihydromethysticin at 11mg or 18%.

What About Liver Damage?

Although the study didn’t focus on liver damage, because of the still-lingering concerns over debunked reports that kava may cause liver damage, data was gathered. A researcher did clarify that the study was quite small, and only over a 3-week period, so any long-term inference of hepatotoxicity or the lack thereof required further study. At a clinical level, though, cases in which kava hepatotoxicity have been gathered, actual kava hepatotoxicity is an “extremely rare occurrence with probable causation only linked in a few cases.”

Let me put this into perspective for a moment: In a Washington Post article entitled “Prescription Drugs’ Toll Among Deadliest“, the article opens with this shocker:

More than 2 million Americans become seriously ill every year because of toxic reactions to correctly prescribed medicines taken properly, and 106,000 die from those reactions, a new study concludes. That surprisingly high number [possibly] makes drug side effects the fourth most common cause of death in this country.

So, despite 3,000 years of safe use throughout Oceania, despite Kava never conclusively being linked with liver failure, and despite the World Health Organization unequivocally stating that there is no connection between liver damage and water-based extractions of Kava, the stigma of the debunked German study often remains. But the researchers stated that a plant-based medicine with this stellar of a safety record that is also effective in fighting anxiety to demands more research.

Regardless, liver function tests at the start of week 2, and at the end of week 7 revealed no significant differences on any enzyme. To detail further: The difference between the kava group and the placebo group were “statistically nonsignificant.”

More Study Details

The study found that kava was well tolerated. The only side effect noted by participants were a few reports of headaches. But these headaches were determined not to be related to the kava itself. Also, despite the short-term period the study was conducted within, there was no withdrawal symptoms or kava habits formed during the study.

Also, some women reported an increase in libido. Although kava has been used as an aphrodisiac throughout Oceania for millennia, it would be impossible to directly link kava with this increase in libido. Researchers cautioned that a reduction in anxiety could easily be responsible for an increase in libido. A researcher noted; “Future research confirming the genetic romantic relationship to therapeutic response, and any libido-improving results from Kava is currently required.”

REFERENCES

Coulter D. Assessment of the risk of hepatotoxicity with kava products. WHO appointed committee 2007.

Sarris, Jerome, Con Stough, Chad A. Bousman, Zahra T. Wahid, Greg Murray, Rolf Teschke, Karen M. Savage, Ashley Dowell, Chee Ng, and Isaac Schweitzer. “Kava in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 33.5 (2013): 643-48. Web.

Sarris J., Kavanagh D., Byrne G., et al. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009; 205(3); 399-407.

Teschke R, Genthner A., Wolff A. Kava hepatotoxicity: comparison of aqueous, ethanolic, acetonic kava extracts and kava-herbs mixtures. J Ethnopharmacol, 2009; 123(3); 378-384.

Indian PM Honored with Kava Ceremony in Fiji

Indian PM Honored with Kava Ceremony on Visit to FijiAloha and Happy New Year from the Kava Guru! As we head into the first month of 2015, I thought this might be an excellent time to highlight some interesting “firsts” in the kava world. A recent news piece I’d like to share with you covered the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Fiji—the first Indian PM to visit Fiji in over 30 years. And how did Fiji locals greet Mr. Modi after so much time? With a kava ceremony, of course!

The Fiji Islands are home to an ethnically diverse population of about 827,000 people. That includes about 37% percent Indo-Fijians, people of primary Indian or mixed Indian and Fijian descent. Kava is consumed across cultures in Fiji: among Fiji’s native iTaukei people, Indo-Fijians, and other ethnic minorities. Despite its large Indian population, until Modi’s visit it had been 33 years since then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi paid a diplomatic visit to Fiji in the 1980’s. Narendra Modi visited Fiji as part of a diplomatic tour that also included stopovers in Myanmar and Australia.

According to reports, Modi was welcomed in Suva by indigenous iTaukei men in traditional grass skirts, who danced and sang, then honored him with a kava ceremony. He apparently had been advised by his aides in the proper way to drink kava, and did not hesitate when the bilo was offered him. Modi downed it in one gulp, to the accompaniment of much hand clapping by the men of Sorokoba village who had administered the ceremony. Refusing kava is seen as an insult in Fiji (and, I can tell you, in other South Pacific societies as well), so Modi’s smooth performance was diplomatically shrewd and sets a good example for other heads of state. Chinese president Xi Jinping, visiting two days after Modi, was also honored with a kava ceremony by the men of Nakorotubu village. The story offered no word on how he fared.

However, in an aside the article mentioned that Modi performed better than Prince Charles of Wales on his diplomatic visit to the village of Viseisei in 2005. The Prince did not refuse a small sip of kava but reportedly grimaced at its admittedly pungent taste. Though his aides were suitably circumspect as to whether Prince Charles experienced any effects from the brew, they did say he was visibly relaxed on the flight home!

Perhaps Modi’s courtesy is even more to be appreciated considering the way the article described kava, as a “narcotic” that can fuddle brainwaves and cause “fuzzyheadedness”. Of course, anyone reasonably knowledgeable about kava knows it is not actually a narcotic; nor does kava impair reaction time, judgment, or cognition as it performs its wonderful relaxing ministrations.

The taste of kava also received less than complementary words: one source described it as similar to a “cocktail of dirty washing water garnished with old socks”. With that kind of primer, I’m a little amazed Modi decided to stop by Fiji at all! However, I and the Fijian kava community are certainly glad he did. Let’s hope the Indian PM’s visit signals a renewed era of diplomatic relations between Fiji and India once again!

Sources:

“Narendra Modi Gulps an Intoxicating Drink Politely”. NDTV Food. Last modified December 8th, 2014. http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/narendra-modi-gulps-an-intoxicating-drink-politely-631651.

“When Modi Quaffed a Drink to India-Fiji Friendship”. 5 Dariya News. Last modified December 6th, 2014. http://www.5dariyanews.com/news/60697-When-Modi-quaffed-a-drink-to-India-Fiji-friendship.

“For India-Fiji Friendship, PM Modi Downed a Drink Prince Charles Had Balked At”. NDTV.com. Last modified December 6th, 2014. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/for-india-fiji-friendship-pm-modi-downed-a-drink-prince-charles-had-balked-at-630849.

Pacific Islanders Accused of Trading “Black Market” Kava in Australia

Pacific Islanders Accused of Trading "Black Market" Kava in AustraliaAloha, kava lovers, Kava Guru here! As you all know, I will always champion making kava freely available to all who wish to access her many benefits to health and happiness. However, a recent news article made me ponder just how important it is to establish firm cultural guidelines governing the use of kava kava, just as have been set down in the South Pacific for countless millennia. Although the story I am about to relate pertains to the state of kava in Australia, I believe it has many lessons for how we view kava and its uses in the West.

A recent Radio Australia program highlighted remarks by Australia’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, about the use of kava in Australia’s remote northern Arnhem Land. Scullion stated there is currently a problem with illegal diversion of large amounts of kava into Arnhem Land—as much as 35 tons of powdered kava root—specifically targeted to the market of some 3000 regular kava users in the region. The amounts of kava being smuggled (his words) into Australia far exceed the legal limit of two kilos of dried kava root that visitors are allowed to bring through customs in their luggage. This small amount, suitable for personal use, is allowed under Australia’s laws so that Pacific Islanders entering the country can still pursue their traditions involving kava while in Australia.

However, Scullion also attributed the kava smuggling to South Pacific visitors (specifically Tongans), whom he believes are the main group responsible for diverting commercial amounts of kava into Arnhem Land for illicit sale. Scullion promised a “crackdown” by Australian authorities on large-scale diversions of kava intended for sale in Arnhem Land. There was also a recent motion to ban kava in Arnhem Land in response to this issue.

Watching the story unfold from the United States, all this uproar around kava in Australia struck me as faintly absurd. Why would Australia protest the increasing availability of a beneficial herb like kava into Arnhem Land when the Australian government already approved kava’s sale there in the early 1980s? However, appended to the news story was an interview with Alan Clough, a researcher with the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine in Queensland, who made the valuable point that indigenous people in Arnhem Land are using kava much differently than populations in the South Pacific. While Tonga, Vanuatu and other South Pacific countries have centuries of cultural regulations and protocols governing the way kava can be used, these regulations don’t exist in Arnhem Land; Clough said there is more potential for people to overuse kava out of boredom, or as a way to escape from the reality of low employment opportunities and lack of other activities in Arnhem Land.

Waterfall at Kakadu Park, Northern Territory of Australia

He noted that since the indigenous people of Arnhem Land have only been exposed to kava for about thirty years, there is greater potential for its abuse because it lacks a cultural context. Relatedly, indigenous peoples exposed to alcohol after European contact often experienced higher rates of alcoholism and damage to their social structures (in addition to the more direct damage European colonists did to the indigenous cultures they encountered). Of course, when used in the doses common to the South Pacific or in Western medicine, kava does not carry the health risks of alcohol. Yet Clough stated that kava does begin to have health effects when taken frequently at heavy doses, which is often how it’s used by regular kava users in Arnhem Land. Clough suggested that kava begins to manifest negative health effects at doses of about 350 grams of dried root power per week. These effects include reddened eyes; elevated blood platelet count; kava dermatopathy (a reversible kava-induced skin rash); shortness of breath; and changes in the levels of the liver enzyme gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT), although these changes did not indicate liver inflammation in the people he examined (Clough 2003). Clough also mentioned the possibility of malnutrition due to kava becoming the staple item of heavy users’ diet.

Equally troubling, other studies discovered that Arnhem Land residents often used kava in combination with alcohol. Experiments with mice have shown that administering kava and alcohol in combination may potentiate greater hypnotic and toxic effects than either substance taken alone (D’Abbs 1997). Additionally, while kava by itself has been proven experimentally not to impair cognitive function, kava and alcohol combined do have a deleterious effect on both subjective and measured cognitive performance in humans (D’Abbs 1997, 9). Ironically, kava was originally introduced to Arnhem Land in the 1980s as a alternative to alcohol, whose high usage rates were causing negative health and social outcomes in the community. Both frequent drinking and petrol sniffing were two risky behaviors engaged in by people in these communities who faced a real or perceived lack of options.

Arnhem Land’s rocky history suggests to me that simply taking away kava is not a solution to the region’s problems. In fact, this could lead to more problems as residents turn to much worse alternatives such as alcohol. Dr. Clough’s comments on the situation got me thinking—what if, instead of just banning kava, Australia turned the focus toward educating people about the best practices for using kava? What if they could create a stable cultural context around kava, just as there has been for dozens of generations in the South Pacific? My guru instincts suggest that creating such a context of safe and positive uses for kava could only improve the situation in Arnhem Land!

Another key leg of the effort to improve things in Arnhem Land would be development—putting some effort and dollars into creating infrastructure and opportunities for employment and prosperity that don’t currently exist in the region. Sitting around drinking kava (or anything) all day is likely more a result of apathy, of feeling like they have no future and nothing better to do, than of the availability of kava. One suggestion for economic improvement that got me especially excited was a proposal made by community leaders for the development of a “yolgnu”, or indigenous, kava trade: basically, instead of their only source of kava being controlled from the outside (by legal or illicit channels), Arnhem Land communities would take control of the import, sale and distribution of kava with the approval of the Australian government. A control board assembled of appointees from each kava-using community could regularly convene to negotiate on matters of trade and see that the profits from the wholesaling of kava go back to the communities of Arnhem Land.

Readers, I don’t know about you, but my excitement is palpable at this idea. What a wonderful proposal to put the control of kava back into the hands of Arnhemlanders! I sincerely hope that this proposal gains traction so that the people of Arnhem Land can enjoy all the benefits of kava within a well-defined cultural context that puts their future in their own hands again!

Mahalo,

Kava Guru

REFERENCES

Clough, A.R., C.B. Burns, and N. Mununggurr. 2000. “Kava in Arnhem Land: a review of consumption and its social correlates.” Drug and Alcohol Review 19: 319-28.

Clough A.R., R.S. Bailie, B. Currie.  “Liver function test abnormalities in users of aqueous kava extracts”.  Journal of Toxicology. 2003. 41(6):821-9.)

D’Abbs, Peter and Chris Burn. September 1997. “Draft report on inquiry into the issue of kava regulation”. Sessional Committee on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community. http://www.nt.gov.au/lant/parliamentary-business/committees/kava.pdf.

Hill, Bruce. “Pacific Islanders accused of Australian black market kava trade”. Radio Australia. Last modified November 25th, 2014. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/pacific-islanders-accused-of-australian-black-market-kava-trade/1393031.

New Kava Business Ventures Launching in Fiji!

New Kava Business Ventures Launching in Fiji!Aloha, kava lovers! I am excited to bring news of three kava-centric business ventures that just launched in Fiji that are dedicated to expanding the market for Fijian kava worldwide! Fiji’s reputation for high-quality kava precedes it among the kava-loving community, where many find it to have a smoother, less biting flavor than Vanuatu kava while sacrificing none of kava’s pleasurable properties. However, surprising though it may be, few Fijian kava sellers have found a way to peddle their products directly to the international market, outside the few tourists who come upon Fiji’s local kava scene. Strict bans on kava, notably in the EU and Australia, have carved a divot into the profits local Fijians could have been making from kava, and have subjected many South Pacific countries to undue economic hardship from the early 2000s up to as recently as this year.

Luckily, those dark days seem to be receding ever faster behind us, dear readers! One of the omens of better days ahead for the kava market in Fiji is the recent announcement of three new Fijian business ventures centered around the production, branding, and international export of homegrown Fijian kava! Woohoo! We will have to think about how we can brand our business, maybe some Custom Water Bottles to emulate the beautiful Fijian waters, relating to our business.

The first bit of news I want to share with you concerns a new Fiji company called South Pacific Elixirs Limited. Operating out of the region of Ovalau with a $130,000 grant from the Fijian government, South Pacific Elixirs will soon start producing a kava supplement beverage made from locally grown kava root. Officials hope that export of this new product will boost the economy of Ovalau, a highland region that relies on kava farming for a big portion of its GDP. Although the drink processing facility is currently located in Australia, the owners soon hope to establish a processing facility in Fiji. They cited this project as an opportunity to educate kava farmers about best growing and harvesting practices, and also to identity kava strains that are appropriate for export.

The beverage, called Taki Mai from a Fijian phrase meaning “serve me now”, combines an extract of pure freeze-dried kava root reconstituted with filtered water and either pineapple, mango, or guava juice. According to the site, its kava has a smooth, almost milky taste that blends well with water and lacks the bitter elements of, say, Vanuatu kavas. Furthermore, when you buy Taki Mai drinks, you’re getting a single-origin kava beverage: unlike many other bottled kava drinks, which are made from a blend of different kava strains, here you know you’re getting a pure Fijian kava straight from the small highland farmers of Ovalau, who directly profit from your purchase. Even cooler is that South Pacific Elixirs has partnered with the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, to develop standardized cold-water extraction and total kavalactone testing methods for their kava supplements. As their FAQ section states, “the aim was to create a kava beverage that used traditional, authentic ways to deliver a consistent and predictable relaxation effect with every serving.” That makes me want to go out and order some right now!

Next we have David Gilmour-the entrepeneur who founded the Fiji Water company and also runs the Wakaya Club and Spa-jumping on the kava business bandwagon with a new locally grown Fiji kava he plans to export to the world market. Gilmour is already the proprietor of organic pink ginger and turmeric farmed from the Wakaya highlands; this new kava product looks set to be the third in his trifecta of organic Wakaya Origins herbal supplements, and will be locally sourced from several regions of Fiji and processed at Wakaya to remove stems, leaves, and root peel. Wakaya Origins kava supplements were originally sold only in Fijian cities, but are slated to be available on the world market this month. If this was to be made into a supplement capsule/soft gel form, then Private Label Supplements can be used to create this for the general market.

Finally, a brief piece from the Fiji Times Online caught my eye with news that kava growers in the region of Kadavu, Fiji, are making plans in concert with the Kadavu Provincial Council to brand and sell Kadavu kava abroad! According to Provincial Council Chairman Ratu Seci, kava (yaquona in Fijian) is a prime source of GDP in Kadavu, along with taro. Though he did not name names, the chairman also mentioned that a few international kava vendors are in the habit of labeling their kava “Kadavu kava” when it is not actually from Kadavu. Tsk tsk! Then, I suppose that goes to show just what a reputation Kadavu kava has in Fiji, and that reputation is soon to expand to the global stage once Kadavu starts exporting its excellent kava. I wish good luck to all three Fijian kava business ventures, and look forward to sampling their kava in the near future! Now would be a great time to take yourself on a fiji vacation sampling all they have to offer.

Mahalo,

Kava Guru

REFERENCES

“Kava Supplement Boosts Local Economy”. Fiji Times Online. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=275729.

Valemei, Ropate. “New Kava Product”. Fiji Times Online. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=277824.

Naleba, Mere. “Council to Concentrate on Product Branding”. Fiji Times Online. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=284711.

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