What are kava’s main benefits?

    Last Updated: March 13, 2024

    One reported benefit of kava, especially in comparison to many other anxiolytics, is its ability to relieve symptoms without compromising mental clarity. For this reason, claims that kava is a hypnotic or psychedelic may be exaggerations.[1]

    Kava is best known for anxiety reduction but may not affect all types of anxiety. The clinical evidence of its effectiveness for generalized anxiety disorder or anxiety that is comorbid with depression is mixed.[2][3][4][5][6][7] However, clinical evidence for kava’s effectiveness for short-term anxiety and for anxiety resulting from specific circumstances or situations is more consistently positive.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

    Several clinical studies have shown that kava may be able to reduce anxiety without the deleterious effects on cognition seen with other anxiolytics. It has also been suggested that kava could improve cognitive processing, although such cognitive improvements may simply be byproducts of anxiety reduction; more research is needed to clarify this point.[16][17][18][19][20]

    Kava use has also been connected with a near-immediate mood boost[17] and may treat sleep disturbances associated with anxiety.[21] However, kava is still not widely recommended or accepted as a treatment for insomnia, especially in place of therapies with stronger evidence of safety and efficacy.[22][23][24]

    References

    1. ^Kava Kava. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury;USA: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, updated April 2018, cited January 2024(2012)
    2. ^Jerome Sarris, David J Kavanagh, Gary Deed, Kerry M BoneSt. John's wort and Kava in treating major depressive disorder with comorbid anxiety: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trialHum Psychopharmacol.(2009 Jan)
    3. ^Cagnacci A, Arangino S, Renzi A, Zanni AL, Malmusi S, Volpe AKava-Kava administration reduces anxiety in perimenopausal women.Maturitas.(2003-Feb-25)
    4. ^Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Adams J, Bone K, Byrne GKava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a mixed methods RCT using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.Complement Ther Med.(2009-Jun)
    5. ^Volz HP, Kieser MKava-kava extract WS 1490 versus placebo in anxiety disorders--a randomized placebo-controlled 25-week outpatient trialPharmacopsychiatry.(1997 Jan)
    6. ^Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed GThe Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticumPsychopharmacology (Berl).(2009 Aug)
    7. ^Gastpar M, Klimm HDTreatment of anxiety, tension and restlessness states with Kava special extract WS 1490 in general practice: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind multicenter trialPhytomedicine.(2003 Nov)
    8. ^Warnecke GPsychosomatic dysfunctions in the female climacteric. Clinical effectiveness and tolerance of Kava Extract WS 1490.Fortschr Med.(1991-Feb-10)
    9. ^De Leo V, La Marca A, Lanzetta D, Palazzi S, Torricelli M, Facchini C, Morgante GAssessment of the association of Kava-Kava extract and hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of postmenopause anxiety.Minerva Ginecol.(2000-Jun)
    10. ^De Leo V, la Marca A, Morgante G, Lanzetta D, Florio P, Petraglia FEvaluation of combining kava extract with hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of postmenopausal anxiety.Maturitas.(2001-Aug-25)
    11. ^Malsch U, Kieser MEfficacy of kava-kava in the treatment of non-psychotic anxiety, following pretreatment with benzodiazepinesPsychopharmacology (Berl).(2001 Sep)
    12. ^Pittler MH, Ernst EKava extract for treating anxietyCochrane Database Syst Rev.(2003)
    13. ^Pittler MH, Ernst EEfficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis.J Clin Psychopharmacol.(2000-Feb)
    14. ^Kinzler E, Krömer J, Lehmann EEffect of a special kava extract in patients with anxiety-, tension-, and excitation states of non-psychotic genesis. Double blind study with placebos over 4 weeks.Arzneimittelforschung.(1991-Jun)
    15. ^Geier FP, Konstantinowicz TKava treatment in patients with anxietyPhytother Res.(2004 Apr)
    16. ^Sarris J, Scholey A, Schweitzer I, Bousman C, Laporte E, Ng C, Murray G, Stough CThe acute effects of kava and oxazepam on anxiety, mood, neurocognition; and genetic correlates: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.Hum Psychopharmacol.(2012-May)
    17. ^Thompson R, Ruch W, Hasenöhrl RUEnhanced cognitive performance and cheerful mood by standardized extracts of Piper methysticum (Kava-kava)Hum Psychopharmacol.(2004 Jun)
    18. ^Sarris J, Laporte E, Scholey A, King R, Pipingas A, Schweitzer I, Stough CDoes a medicinal dose of kava impair driving? A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.Traffic Inj Prev.(2013)
    19. ^Cropley M, Cave Z, Ellis J, Middleton RWEffect of kava and valerian on human physiological and psychological responses to mental stress assessed under laboratory conditionsPhytother Res.(2002 Feb)
    20. ^Münte TF, Heinze HJ, Matzke M, Steitz JEffects of oxazepam and an extract of kava roots (Piper methysticum) on event-related potentials in a word recognition task.Neuropsychobiology.(1993)
    21. ^Lehrl SClinical efficacy of kava extract WS 1490 in sleep disturbances associated with anxiety disorders. Results of a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trialJ Affect Disord.(2004 Feb)
    22. ^Martin JL, Mysliwiec V, Chowdhuri S, Ulmer CSThe Veterans Administration and Department of Defense clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders: what does this mean for the practice of sleep medicine?J Clin Sleep Med.(2020-Aug-15)
    23. ^Zhao FY, Xu P, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Zhang WJ, Wang YM, Fu QQ, Zheng ZIdentifying complementary and alternative medicine recommendations for insomnia treatment and care: a systematic review and critical assessment of comprehensive clinical practice guidelines.Front Public Health.(2023)
    24. ^Jacobs BP, Bent S, Tice JA, Blackwell T, Cummings SRAn internet-based randomized, placebo-controlled trial of kava and valerian for anxiety and insomnia.Medicine (Baltimore).(2005-Jul)