Using Kava for Anxiety and Stress

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Last updated September 6, 2023.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.

Using kava for anxiety and stress is well established. Learn how to use kava as a supplement and a tea, as well as kava’s benefits, dosing, and safety.

Kava is a traditional drink of the South Pacific that promotes quick relaxation.

It’s also sold as an herbal remedy for anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

Research shows it to be effective for treating anxiety, on par with prescription tranquilizers.

Yet there has been concern that it could pose some health risks.

So, what’s the truth about kava?

Here’s everything you need to know before deciding whether kava is right for you. 

Traditional Uses for Kava

Many societies have a non-alcoholic, mood-altering drink that’s an important part of their culture.

Argentina has yerba mate, Japan has matcha, and the South Pacific has kava (also called kava kava).

The people of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Hawaii have been making a ceremonial drink from the root of the kava plant for thousands of years.

Kava extract comes from a plant that’s a member of the pepper family.

" Kava’s effectiveness at treating anxiety is on a par with prescription anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, but without the side effects.

Its scientific name, Piper methysticum, means “intoxicating pepper” and it is renowned for bringing about a state of deep relaxation. 

It’s consumed at milestone events like weddings, funerals, and initiation ceremonies. 

It’s used during healing and religious ceremonies to achieve a “higher level of consciousness.”

Kava is most commonly taken medicinally to treat stress and anxiety, but it is also taken for insomnia, fatigue, headaches, depression, colds, urinary infections, and symptoms of menopause. 

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What to Expect When Drinking Kava

Most people think kava tea looks, smells, and tastes a little like mud.

So no one drinks kava for the taste, they drink it for the way it makes them feel.

The first sip pleasantly numbs the mouth.

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Shortly, a warm relaxed feeling spreads throughout the body, creating a sensation similar to that of a full-body massage.

Mentally, you feel like all is right with the world, calm and pleasantly relaxed, but still clear-headed.

Your anxieties melt away and you feel a kinship with your fellow humans.

Benefits of Kava for Anxiety

Fast forward to the 21st century wherein researchers have examined the safety and effectiveness of kava for treating anxiety.

The active ingredients in kava are a group of compounds called kavalactones.

So far, 18 kavalactones have been identified and each promotes relaxation by varying means. 

Some work by increasing GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the neurotransmitter of calm and relaxation. 

Others protect brain cells from free radical damage and inflammation. 

Kava is so effective at reducing anxiety that it’s been called “nature’s Valium.”

Numerous studies have concluded that kava is a safe and effective alternative to antidepressants and tranquilizers for anxiety disorders

Kava’s effectiveness at treating anxiety is on par with prescription anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, but without the side effects.

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Anti-anxiety medications have many serious side effects, including being highly addictive, and should not be mixed with alcohol or other drugs, whether prescription, over-the-counter, or recreational.

Kava can increase overall well-being, cheerfulness, and sleep quality while reducing aggression and stress

Kava excels at improving mental wellness in menopausal women, especially for depression and anxiety, without disrupting estrogen levels. 

Because some of the kavalactones bind to brain receptors associated with addictions and cravings, kava shows potential for treating substance abuse of all kinds, including alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and heroin addiction. 

How to Use Kava for Anxiety

Anyone who has taken part in a traditional kava ceremony will tell you that it’s a unique experience.

You can try to replicate it with commercially available kava powder to make your own tea at home.

Put your kava powder in a cloth strainer bag, add water, and then knead the bag until the tea reaches the desired consistency.

Then, ideally, consume it with friends.

But this is not very convenient, and since kava’s taste is not a selling point, most people looking for anxiety relief prefer kava supplements.

Kava supplements are available as capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, and even herbal sprays that are marketed as natural remedies for anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

Kava Dosing for Anxiety

A good dosage to start with is 250-300 mg of kava per day.

Multiple studies have used daily doses of 300 mg of kava to treat anxiety safely and effectively. 

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It’s generally agreed that you should not exceed a daily dose of 250 mg of total kavalactones

When you buy a kava supplement, be sure to check for the total milligrams of kavalactones in the dose so as to not exceed this amount.

Here’s a typical kava supplement label. 

kava supplement label
Typical kava supplement label.

Notice that each capsule contains 200 mg kava extract but only 60 mg kavalactones, well below the recommended maximum of 250 mg. 

Since kava can make you drowsy, start by taking it in the evening and, as labels often say, “do not use while operating heavy machinery.”

Kava Side Effects, Interactions, and Warnings

For all its benefits, there are some circumstances in which kava should be avoided.

Its safety has not been determined for pregnant women, nursing moms, and children, so they should avoid it.

Kava does not mix well with other substances and there are hundreds of drugs known to negatively interact with kava.

Kava should not be taken with sleeping pills, pain relievers, muscle relaxers, or drugs for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

If you take any prescription medications, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist before trying kava.

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Until then, you can cross-check kava with your medications by using a reputable online drug interaction checker.

Additionally, kava should not be mixed with other natural relaxing remedies, including 5-HTP, catnip, gotu kola, melatonin, St. John’s wort, skullcap, and valerian. 

When taken together, these remedies can make you too drowsy.

Other occasional side effects of kava include allergic reactions, upset stomach, and loss of appetite. 

There’s one strange side effect experienced by some people in the Pacific who use kava daily — kava dermopathy.

It’s a scaly rash similar to psoriasis and appears only after many months of heavy kava use. 

Fortunately, this condition is reversible once kava use is discontinued.

Does Kava Cause Liver Damage? A Look at the Facts

You may read that kava can cause liver damage.

There are certainly enough scary warnings about kava’s dangers to be found online.

But is it as dangerous as it’s made out to be?

Let’s take a look at the facts surrounding this controversy.

A handful of cases of liver damage in kava users was reported in 2000.

While liver damage sounds serious, a look at the numbers should turn off any alarms in your head.

There were 30 cases reported in Europe, but it’s never been clearly established whether it was kava itself that caused liver damage or some other factor.

A review of 85 scientific studies on kava safety found no single cause of kava toxicity, but a few theories have emerged. 

One explanation is that there may have been extenuating circumstances among the victims, such as pre-existing health problems or their combining kava with alcohol, drugs, or other herbs.

Apparently, 64% of the kava toxicity cases used up to 20 various drugs and supplements that may have reacted with kava. 

Kava Supplement Quality Is Important

Another theory is that the quality of the kava supplements was to blame.

Scientists from the University of Hawaii report that supplement manufacturers took a lot of shortcuts and did not use traditional extraction methods

Leaves, stems, and bark, which are considered waste products, were used by supplement companies as a cheap source of kava extract.

Manufacturers used alcohol or acetone to extract kavalactones, rather than soaking the root in water in the traditional way. 

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Additionally, there’s speculation that some manufacturers weren’t even using the correct plant species.

When you consider that prescription drugs are now the fourth leading cause of death in the US, causing over 120,000 deaths per year, it makes the fear of using kava seem overblown. 

According to the US National Library of Medicine’s LiverTox database, your risk of liver damage from taking a kava supplement is less than one in a million.

To put that in perspective, you are significantly more likely to be struck by lightning.

(The odds of that are 1 in 700,000, in case you’re wondering). 

As a common sense precaution, avoid kava if you have any liver problems or take medications that put a burden on liver function.

And if you show any signs of jaundice — yellowing of the skin or eyes — discontinue kava use immediately and contact your doctor.

Kava’s Current Legal Status Around the World

Since the liver damage scare, the legal status of kava around the world has been in constant flux.

Here in the United States, kava tea and supplements are readily available online or at health food stores.

You can also buy kava-containing relaxation drinks that bill themselves as the “antidote to energy drinks.”

Some cities have kava bars where you can enjoy drinking kava the traditional way — together with friends.

Interested in checking one out?

You’ll find lists or maps of kava bars in the US on Kava.guru or KalmWithKava.com.

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However, the regulation of kava is more restrictive and less straightforward in many other countries.

In 2015, a 15-year ban on kava in Germany was finally lifted, while kava restrictions in the United Kingdom were tightened

One way to learn if kava is available where you live is to contact any e-commerce store that sells kava to see if they ship to your country.

Additionally, you can find information on the legal status of kava around the world on Wikipedia.

Kona Kava Farm lists their shipping success rate around the world on their website.

This information is somewhat helpful but unfortunately, this is not kept current.  

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