Kava Kava Herbal Remedies
Kava is the national drink of Fiji and is popular throughout the South Seas. Drinking kava imparts a calm feeling, relaxes the body, and sometimes enhances mental activity and communication with a sharpening of the senses. It is used in religious ceremonies in Polynesia as well as for social gatherings. It is especially indicated for nervous anxiety, overtiredness, stress, and restlessness, as well as for irritable bladder. Kava has a multitude of medicinal uses including bladder infections, insomnia, pain, anorexia, mild depression, fatigue, toothache, and nocturnal incontinence in the young and aged. Kava Kava has a taste of ACRID and a temperature of WARM.
Kava Kava Proper Dose
| Type | Dossage |
| Kava Kava Decoction | 1 cup 3-4 x daily |
| Kava Kava Extract | 1-2 tablets 2-3 x daily |
| Kava Kava Tincture | 2-4 droppersful 2-3 x daily |
Kava Kava Reference Information
| Latin Name | Piper methysticum |
| Other Names | Ava |
| Part Used | Root |
| Herb Forms | Tincture, powder in capsule, standardized extract in capsules and tablets, bulk herb, powder. |
| Affects | Nervous system, Reproductive system, Urinary system |
| Cautions | Avoid large doses. Contraindicated during pregnancy. |
| Botanical Info | A large-leaved perennial shrub from the Pepper family with angled jointed stems and spikes of tiny green flowers. |
Supporting Research
Blumenthal, Mark et al. 1998. The Complete Commission E Monographs. Austin: American Botanical Council.
Leung, A. and S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.
McGuffin, M. et al. 1997. Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Weiss, R. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers.
Wren, R.C. 1988. Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs. Essex: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd.
Reynolds, J., ed. 1993. Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia. London: The Pharmaceutical Press.