Kava

The herb kava, also popularly known as kava kava, has many uses and preparations. Typically in most herbal medicines and tonics the kava root is the most desired part of the plant, and it is traditionally prepared by chewing the fresh root into a pulp, then mixing the pulp with water and drinking the beverage. In more modern preparations dried kava root is powdered or ground into a fine powder and then used in capsule form. Kava coffee or kavajava is made by mixing kava with water then adding this combination to coffee. The result is a coffee-flavored beverage that has all the effects of kava kava, calmness, a sense of relaxation and an improvement in thinking clarity. Samoan kava ceremony traditions date back many hundreds of years that include the consumption of kava prior to making decisions or planning.

Kava tea is made by steeping the root in water to release the kavalactones, the active ingredient in the kava. The beverage may be consumed warm or cold, but the effects of the kava tea or coffee are the same. There are many websites and resources that offer kava kava advice, and the biggest concept to remember when consuming this herb is to start with small dosages and amounts and gradually increase as needed. Since the side effects of kava kava include extreme relaxation and even sleep, you should never consume the tea, coffee or herbal supplement with kava and then drive until you know the effects it will have on you. In some research the dangers of kava include severe liver toxicity, although this is usually only found if the leaves or bark has been ingested.

The traditional use of the herb has been to use fresh or dry kava kava. Anxiety medications now use a powdered form of the kava, which is found in some prescription medications as well as in herbal anxiety combinations. The active ingredients in many anti-anxiety medications are the same as are found in kava, Paxil being one of the major prescription medicines. If you are taking a anti-anxiety medication do not take kava until discussing this with your physician.

The use of kava for back pain relieve has also been very promising. It is likely the relaxation effect that helps kava with back ache problems. Again, using within the recommended dosage is very important. For more specific information on kava root or kava kava a search using kava+root+bowls+safe provides lots of sites to examine, as does raw+kava root+sale.