Kava Kava

Kava Kava: What is it?

Kava Kava is the name given to the underground parts (roots and rhizome) of Piper methysticum Forst., An upright shrub of about 3 meters, cultivated in the regions of Polynesia and Oceania. Belonging to the family of Piperaceae, the same as the pepper present on our tables (Piper nigrum), the plant owes its name to Piper, which in Latin means pepper, and a methysticum (which intoxicates).

In fact, in high doses, kava kava has quite marked toxic effects and can cause cardiac arrest. Despite this, the Polynesians have long learned to take the drug in the right concentrations, fragmenting it and letting it macerate in water to benefit from the anxiolytic and sedative properties of kava kava, now widely confirmed also by Western medicine. Not surprisingly, in the native regions, kava kava has a long tradition of use to resolve quarrels between people, commemorate the dead by facilitating communication with the afterlife, and relax and promote social skills in view of particular events, such as a marriage.

Properties of Kava - Kava

Kava - Kava has anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and local anesthetic properties (the aqueous extracts reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membranes of the mouth). All of these properties are extensively documented in the literature, and have also been demonstrated in double-blind studies, meta-analyzes and systematic reviews. From these studies it emerges that the anxiolytic-sedative properties of kava kava are attributable to active ingredients renamed kavalactones or kavapirones, such as kavain (1-2% of the drug), dihydrokavain (0.6-1%), methyskin (1.2 -2%) and dihydromethisticin (0.5-0.8%). The same active ingredients are used to standardize commercially available kava kava extracts, which should contain at least 3.5% kavapirones, calculated as kavain. Often, however, much higher concentrations are reached, in the order of 30-60%, for a total of 60-150 mg of kavalactones per tablet. What is very interesting is that the sedative properties of kava kava seem to be separated from any side effects. central level; the extracts, in fact, do not seem to give addiction, physical and psychological dependence, nor do they cause a reduction in memory or reaction time; on the other hand, they exhibit a "therapeutic efficacy comparable to conventional drugs (benzodiazepines). These characteristics prompted the German E commission to recommend kava kava in the treatment of nervous anxiety, states of excessive tension and insomnia. The extracts of kava kava can also be of help to combat stress and rebalance the emotional sphere and mood in the presence of nervousness and internal conflicts within the couple. Not surprisingly, researchers have shown that these extracts increase the activity of a brain neurotransmitter, called GABA, which contributes to a sense of relaxation.

Safety and side effects

From the examination of the literature available to date, it emerges that the use of kava kava is associated with a low incidence of side effects. At therapeutic dosages, the use of the drug seems risk-free, except for a percentage between 1 , 5 and 2.5% of patients, in whom the intake of kava kava causes allergic reactions, gastrointestinal problems, headache or dizziness. On the other hand, the chronic abuse of kava kava (dosages higher than therapeutic ones for long periods) can induce severe side effects on the skin, eyes, liver and heart. The use of Kava Kava preparations should not exceed the three months.

It is also important to remember that the soothing action of Kava Kava is enhanced by the simultaneous intake of alcohol, which is why it is contraindicated even in small doses.

For some years now, the marketing of Kava Kava extracts in the form of supplements has been banned in Italy, in the wake of reports, mostly from Switzerland and Germany, about possible hepatotoxic effects of the drug. This risk could be due to the "congenital absence, recorded in particular population groups, of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of some drug components, to the presence of sophistication with aerial parts of the plant, or to the use of kava kava extracts containing high concentrations of kavalactones, but low in glutathione. This tripeptide, whose integration occurs in the form of acetyl-cysteine, plays a crucial role in the hepatic detoxification processes of various substances, including drugs such as paracetamol; the reduced availability of glutathione, consequent to the increased metabolism of these substances, can induce even quite serious liver damage. Once again it is fascinating to note how in the plant Piper methysticum glutathione and kavalactones are found in a ratio close to 1: 1, a ratio that moves considerably in favor of kavalactones in some ethanolic or acetone extracts of kava kava; the phytocomplex, that is the rich mine of substances present in a plant source, once again demonstrates a more balanced and safe action than the single active ingredients that can be isolated. of liver diseases, it could therefore be useful - under medical advice - the simultaneous integration of acetyl-cysteine.

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