Kava History
Kava drinking has a history that dates back at least 3,000 years and is linked to both social and ceremonial purposes. It was and still is highly prized for its therapeutic use as a sedative, muscle relaxant, diuretic, and treatment for sleeplessness and anxiousness. But kava is more than just an age-old treatment for a number of diseases. To acquire a “higher state of consciousness,” this botanical marvel has been employed in some parts of the Pacific at customary social gatherings and in cultural and religious rites.
What is Kava?
Kava comes from a plant known as Piper Methysticum. This is the same family as peppers. When extracted from this plant root, the beverage we know as Kava is made. In the South Pacific, this popular drink is used for relaxation in many ceremonies. Kavalactones are a group of lactones that are prevalent and virtually solely found in kava. Additionally, it is thought that these kavalactones are what give traditional kava preparations their positive health effects.
How Is Kava Made?
Stem cuttings are used to propagate kava for cultivation. Traditionally, it is prepared by either chewing, grinding, or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Then strained to create the drink we know as Kava. It has more than a hundred different cultivars and chemotypes. Either ethanol or acetone extraction is another popular way to prepare anxiety-relieving kava, and the solvent-free extract is then packaged into the finished product in the form of tablets and capsules.
Kava Uses
Kava can be used for the relief of:
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Withdrawal
- Muscle Relaxation
Other Names for Kava
- Kawa
- Waka
- Lewena
- Yaqona
- Grog (Fiji)
- Sakau (Pohnpei)
- Awa (Hawaii)
- ‘Ava (Samoa)
- Wati (New Guinea)