The Kava Plant

Scientifically referred to by the Latin name for Pepper and the Greek word for intoxicating, Kava is known as Piper methysticum. The plant itself grows on many islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii. It is a shade loving jungle plant that has broad round leaves, and after several years of growth can be more than 3 meters tall. Older plants multiply but are becoming harder and harder to find due to harvesting.  Kava plants do not produce seeds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_040318-0058_Piper_methysticum.jpg  Young Kava Plant

Uses

It is the root that produces the best psychoactive properties. Ground up, it can be eaten or mixed with water and thusly made into a drink. The active ingredient – kavalactone produces a numbing feeling in the mouth and an over all relaxing effect to the consumer. Often times food is eaten immediately afterwards with the purpose of getting the substance into the bloodstream quicker.

Kava is the name of the drink made by the ground up root of the kava plant. It is usually served as a cold drink because boiling destroys the kavactone. In some areas this cold drink is referred to as “Grog” due to obvious reasons.   US sailors have referred to the drink as Jungle Juice.

Kava has been marketed in some parts of the world as herbal medicine for stress, social anxiety, and insomnia. It should be noted that some of these products use the leaves and stems rather than the roots, and that these parts of the plant may cause liver damage if over consumed whereas the roots do not.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirrilyrobert/1972313942/ Kava for sale in the Market

Other Points

• Kava does not appear to become addictive to the user.
• Different strains of the Kava plant produce stronger effects, and longer lasting effects, than do others.
• Kava was reported in 2006 by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the Laboratoire de Bilogie Moleculaire du Cancer in Luxembourg to help in the treatment of ovarian cancer and leukemia. Specifically that Kava methanol extracts targeted only cancerous cells in test tube studies.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/frikitiki/3979126810/

Side Effects

Kava can make a person behave as though they are drunk, and should not be consumed before driving or operating equipment.

Over use of Kava can cause skin rashes or may result in the skin becoming scaly and yellow.

Eye irritation is common in long term users.

As mentioned above, some liver damage has been linked to Kava.

Kava is banned in some countries such as Switzerland, France, and The Netherlands. Some other nations have murky laws surrounding the importation and sale of Kava and Kava products.

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