Traditionally, kava root is macerated, then steeped in a liquid (e.g., water, coconut milk, alcohol) and strained before being drunk.[1] Some reported traditional medicinal uses also incorporate plant parts other than the root.[2]
Less-traditional kava preparations include (but aren’t limited to) tinctures, teas, capsules, and dried powders. When researchers tested different preparations, they found a wide variety of kavalactone content, sometimes inconsistent with the labeling.[3] Kava extracts have been used in cosmetics, but there is still insufficient evidence regarding both kava’s toxicity and efficacy when applied topically.[1]
Standardized preparations of kava also exist and can be found throughout the scientific literature. The standardized preparations cited most frequently in clinical trials include kava root extractions (ethanol-in-water or acetone) standardized to 30–70% kavalactones.[4][5]
References
- ^Robinson V, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, , Andersen FAFinal report on the safety assessment of Piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract and Piper methysticum root extract.Int J Toxicol.(2009)
- ^Moerman, Daniel ENative American Ethnobotany: A Database of Foods, Drugs, Dyes and Fibers of Native American Peoples, Derived from Plants; University of Michigan-Dearborn, cited Feb 2024(2023 Oct)
- ^Mamallapalli J, Kanumuri SRR, Corral P, Johnston E, Zhuang C, McCurdy CR, Mathews CA, Sharma A, Xing CCharacterization of Different Forms of Kava (Piper methysticum) Products by UPLC-MS/MS.Planta Med.(2022-Nov)
- ^R J Boerner, H Sommer, W Berger, U Kuhn, U Schmidt, M MannelKava-Kava extract LI 150 is as effective as Opipramol and Buspirone in Generalised Anxiety Disorder--an 8-week randomized, double-blind multi-centre clinical trial in 129 out-patientsPhytomedicine.(2003)
- ^Malsch U, Kieser MEfficacy of kava-kava in the treatment of non-psychotic anxiety, following pretreatment with benzodiazepinesPsychopharmacology (Berl).(2001 Sep)