Madden 1

Mark Madden
Senior Project
Mrs. Dunbar
Nov 19th, 2014
Kava

People are tied to their native customs. Many rituals and activities common in the
western world are originally derived from various cultures. One of these borrowed rites is
the cultivation of the kava root, a plant found in the bustling isles of Fiji, Hawaii, and
Papua New Guinea. Although kava is not prevalent in most regions of America, a rich
subculture of people have begun to utilize its ancient, beneficial properties. Kava is a
ceremonial herbal beverage with a rich history and complex brewing process which many
people enjoy, and has many health benefits.

Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific. The name kava is from
Tongan and Marquesan; other names for kava include Awa, Ava, Yaqona, and Sakau.
The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties.
Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii,
Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia. Kava originally came from the islands
of Fiji, the legend is told of a great chief named Loau, who lived on the island of Eua Iki

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and was visited by his servant, Feva Anga. Feva wanted to serve a great feast for the
chief, but it was a time of great famine. In desperation, he and his wife killed and cooked
their only daughter. The chief recognized the human flesh in the food when it was
served, and would not eat it. He told Feva to bury his daughter and to bring him the plant
that would spring forth. On receiving the mature plant, Loau instructed that a drink be
prepared from it and consumed with due ceremony. That plant was Kava Kava. The
Samoans say that Kava originated when a Samoan girl went to Fiji, where she married a
great chief. After some time, she returned to Samoa, but before she left Fiji she noticed
two plants growing side by side on a hill. A rat was chewing on one of the plants, and
had fallen asleep. She decided that the plant must be a comforting food, and took it back
to Samoa with her. This plant was Sugar cane. Then she noticed that the rat awoke, and
began to chew the root of another plant-Kava Kava. The rat became bold, strong and
more energetic. She decided to take this plant back to Samoa as well. The plants grew
very well in Samoa, and soon a chief from a neighboring island exchanged two laying
hens for the roots of the two plants. This is how Samoa explains the spread of sugar cane
and Kava Kava( Web. 5 Dec. 2014. http://www.herballegacy.com/Wolsey_History.html).
In the eighteenth century Fiji was overrun by Europeans. Pope John Paul sampled Kava
during a visit to the Pacific islands. So did former First Lady Johnson. And although it
was consumed for centuries by Polynesians, it was only during Captain Cooks voyage to
the Pacific in the 18th century that the outside world discovered it ("Kava." Aloha Hawaii
RSS. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/hawaii/kava/>.). The Europeans
changed the Island cultures in many ways. The Island Communities of the Pacific were
one of the few areas of the world that did not have alcoholic beverages. The use of Kava

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began to decline when alcohol was introduced to them. Colonial governments and
missionaries were disgusted with the traditional preparation of Kava, which involved
chewing the roots to get them to a smaller state, that they made this process illegal, and
forced the natives to prepare the beverage by grinding or grating the root stock. There
seems to have been no difference in the medicinal action of the grated root versus the
chewed root ("Kava." Aloha Hawaii RSS. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.alohahawaii.com/hawaii/kava/>.). Fortunately, today we can get Kava in a more sanitary
condition. Kava has become an important cash crop to the Pacific Islands. It is
particularly suitable for the traditional practices of subsistence farmers. These farmers
than sell their Kava crops to dealers who export the plants to supplement manufacturers.

Kava has been around for thousands of years, yet the medical benefits of this
beverage remain relatively unknown to most people. Kava cures many illnesses such as
anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), and has been found to combat cancer. Kava is
sedating and is primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. Its active
ingredients are called kavalactones. Kava's active principal ingredients of which at least
15 have been identified and are all considered psychoactive. Only six of them produce
noticeable effects, and their concentrations in kava plants vary. Different ratios can
produce different effects. Some produce relaxed body feelings, while others stimulate
brain activity, but the ones that are responsible for kava's popularity are known as kavain
and desmethoxyyangonin. Kavain induces a feeling of relaxation much like a sedative,
however unlike a sedative, it doesn't do so by knocking out the brain. Instead it's a muscle

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relaxant, physically relaxing the body and letting the brain follow along. This leaves kava
drinkers relaxed but alert. Desmethyoxyyangonin increases dopamine in the brain, giving
people a mild euphoric sensation.( Another kavalactone, yangonin, works the same brain
channel as THC, and also contributes to the good feelings that people have while on
kava).( "What Causes the Weird Effects of Kava?" Io9. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://io9.com/what-causes-the-weird-effects-of-kava-1480204172>.) Kavalactones are
most prevalent in the roots and decreases higher up the plant. The mature roots of the
kava plant are harvested after a minimum of four years for peak kavalactone content.
Kava root is classified into two categories: crown root and lateral root. Crown roots are
the large-diameter pieces that look like wooden poker chips ranging anywhere from 1.5
inches to 5 inches in diameter which is normal for fully mature kava root. Most kava
plants consist of approximately 80% crown root upon harvesting. Lateral roots are
smaller-diameter roots that look more like typical roots. A mature kava plant is about
20% lateral roots. Kava lateral roots have the highest content of kavalactones in the kava
plant. (Waka" grade kava is made of lateral roots only.) Many pharmaceutical
companies are solely interested in the lateral roots for use in manufacturing their kava
products. In Fiji, the demand for kava that is solely root is so high that roots are
becoming hard to find in Vanuatu, where more kava is exported to Fiji than anywhere
else in the world ("All About Kava Root." About Kava Root. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.nakamalathome.com/kava-root/about-kava-root.html>.).The kava roots are
spread out on tarps to dry in the sun. During the rainy season in Vanuatu from October
through June it is very difficult to dry roots properly, because of the high humidity of the
tropical islands.

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Kava was banned in 2002 from the German market after a series of liver injuries.
People were overdoing it on kava and ending up in the hospital, however on June 11th of
this year the German administrative court in the city of cologne reversed that decision,
saying there was not enough evidence to ban products containing kava. ("Lift of German
Kava Ban, Detailed in ABC Article, Expected to Boost Botanical in US Market."
NutraIngredients-USA.com. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nutraingredientsusa.com/Markets/Lift-of-German-kava-ban-detailed-in-ABC-article-expected-to-boostbotanical-in-US-market>.) What happened was pharmaceutical companies were using
Kava extracts as an anti-anxiety medication as an alternative to benzodiazepines. The
problem with this was the companies were putting other chemicals into the extracts that
had nothing to do with Kava. The initial ban rested on a small number of adverse events
that connected kava to liver injury. There were 26 cases of liver damage referred to in the
original ban, but after closer investigation, only three could be definitely linked to
ingestion of a kava containing product. Manufacturers of the products claimed in their
appeal to the court that this represented a vanishing level of risk, when ranged against the
approximately 450 million yearly doses of the product consumed in Germany prior to the
ban in 2002 ("Lift of German Kava Ban, Detailed in ABC Article, Expected to Boost
Botanical in US Market." NutraIngredients-USA.com. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Markets/Lift-of-German-kava-ban-detailed-inABC-article-expected-to-boost-botanical-in-US-market>.). Professor Rick Kingston said
that he believes that the German ban (and a subsequent ban on kava in the UK) has had a
chilling effect on the US market, where kava-containing products can legally be sold,
even though FDA put out a consumer advisory on kava in 2002. Kingston stated he

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believes that kava is poised for super-stardom in the herbal market, not only for its
anxiety-relieving properties but also because of promising cancer research conducted by
his colleagues. ("Lift of German Kava Ban, Detailed in ABC Article, Expected to Boost
Botanical in US Market." NutraIngredients-USA.com. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Markets/Lift-of-German-kava-ban-detailed-inABC-article-expected-to-boost-botanical-in-US-market>.) Because of his belief in kava
as a major health benefit in modern medicine Kingston researched Kava to see if there
were any adverse side effects after the ban was lifted. Kingston found a possible Kava
side effect is the possibility of an allergic reaction to it. While it is rare, it does happen.
Records suggest that less than one half of one percent of people that consume Kava have
an allergic reaction to it, which can fall under two types. Kava Allergic Reaction #1 has
symptoms of skin becoming itchy or the throat becoming itchy. Light hives may form.
Kava Allergy #2 is more severe. The person develops hives and there is noticeable
swelling of fingers. The hives are prevalent in the stomach region ("Side Effects of
Kava." Side Effects of Kava. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nakamalathome.com/kavakava-information/side-effects-of-kava-kava.html>.). Further research has found that
kavalactones do not alter levels of dopamine and serotonin in the central nervous system
(CNS). Perhaps the biggest news is that in late 2007 The World Health Organization
(WHO) has released a report entitled Assessment of the Risk of Hepatotoxicity with
Kava Products. The conclusion of this report is that traditional kava products that are
made with water do not seem to be a problem for the liver ("Side Effects of Kava."
Nakamalathome. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nakamalathome.com/kava-kavainformation/side-effects-of-kava-kava.html>.) Another big medical issue Kava can be

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yielded to is substance abuse. Substance abuse is a large and expensive problem in the
United States and the chemistry of craving has become a focus within addiction research.
Within this realm, kava may have significant value. Kava contains compounds known as
kavapyrones that bind to brain locations associated with addiction and cravings. Although
preliminary and exploratory, some clinical studies have shown that kava may be able to
reduce drug cravings. ("What Is Kava? 10 Must-Know Facts." Dr Groups Natural
Health Organic Living Blog. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-facts-to-know-about-kava/>.)

Traditionally Kava it is prepared by chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of

the kava plant until they are almost in a powder form. Then the grinded roots are placed
in a cloth (typically cheese cloth) and tied up. A wooden bowl called a Tanoa (in Samoan
culture) is filled with water. The cloth is then submerged in the water and massaged with
light pressure for about five minutes, after the cloth must be vigorously squeezed for ten
more minutes to extract the leftover kava. Now you have made Kava. The traditional
recipe is a good place for beginners to start learning how to make Kava, however to get
the maximum potency from the extraction a newer method should be applied. Begin by
placing one cup of ground Kava root in a blender and adding two cups of water. Add one
half cup of coconut milk to the blender. Coconut milk is high in fats which will extract
more of the kavalactones from the root. Blend the concoction for five minutes, and let the
Kava soak for thirty minutes shaking occasionally. Now strain the mixture through a
kitchen strainer into a large bowl, but do not throw away the root that will settle on the

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bottom. The root will still be moist and will clump together at the bottom of the strainer.
Put the root in a cloth, tie off the cloth, and add one more cup of water and, one up of
coconut milk to the bowl with your previously strained kava. Now submerse the cloth in
the bowl and vigorously squeeze, and massage the cloth just like the traditional method.
Kava can be added to a variety of other beverages to help with the palatability. Kava has
a very unpleasant dirt like taste, and will make your mouth numb for a few seconds.
When drinking kava it is best to have a pineapple or some other type of fruit by your side
to get the taste of bitterness out of you your mouth.

Many people still have never even heard of kava, although there are a large
amount of medical benefits that can be obtained by this root. Kava is the greatest natural
supplement you can take. Kava has been enjoyed for thousands of years by the Islanders
and has been shared by many cultures for a long time.