kava is used as an herbal remedy to ease symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. The effects of drinking kava include slight tongue and lip numbing due to the contraction of blood vessels in these areas, milk talkative and euphoric behavior, calming, a sense of well-being, clear thinking and relaxed muscles. Sleep is restful and there are no after-effects the next day. kava is a dioecious (having male and female reproductive parts of the plant on different individuals) shrub native to the Pacific islands. Its botanical name is Piper methysticum; it is a member of the Piperaceae, or pepper, family. It is also known as asava pepper or intoxicating pepper. The narcotic drink made from the roots of this shrub is also called kava kava. Kava kava has been widely recommended in recent years as a mild tranquilizer due to its painkilling properties. As of 2002, however, kava kava has been the subject of official safety warnings from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its counterparts in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. Kava has also interestingly been employed by the military in Fiji to aid in vigilance and anxiety reduction, to provide concentration and focus, to provide muscle control before sports and music performances, to reduce anxiety associated with public speaking and other public performances, and in corporate meetings to aid in mental clarity, sociability and improved decision making. Do not use if pregnant, nursing, or being treated for depression. Higher doses and long term use can lead to hypertension, reduced protein levels, blood cell abnormalities, liver damage, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, visual impairment, dizziness and dry and scaly skin. Alcohol consumption increases the toxicity of the pharmacological constituents. As with any medication or supplement, side effects are possible with kava (Piper methysticum). In fact, several countries have banned kava due to reports of very dangerous side effects. However, not all of the possible kava side effects are serious; some are merely bothersome.

Kava recipes