The kava, kava also known as kawa, kew, yagona, sakau etc is a natural shrub that grows in South Pacific Islands. It has been used for thousands of years for different purposes. It is a part of the culture of local people who use to take it in the form of tea or beverages on a regular basis. The kava, kava is basically the root of a plant that is available in the form of capsule, tablet, beverage, tea, and liquid extract forms.
Purpose of Kava
The kava is mainly used for treating the anxiety and insomnia. The kava has an ability to cause the sedation which relaxes our body and mind. The person feels relieved after drinking it. Due to this property, a large number of people drink kava just like the alcohol as it has the same ability of moving you to the unconscious state and it does not have any harmful effects. There are various types of kava including the dihydrokavain, methysticin, kavain, dihydromethysticin, dihydrokawain, yangonin and desmethoxyyangonin. They contain the kavalactones which are the active components and are responsible for sedation. Although, the scientists don’t know that how the kava works but it is a common conception that it affects the level of chemicals that carry the messages from the nervous cells to the other cells present in the blood.
Scientific Research on Kava
A larger number of researchers have proved that the kava is the best cure for anxiety as it gives good results in comparison t the conventional medications used for curing the anxiety. Some studies show that it is much better than the placebo which is the main medicine for anxiety. The limited amount of users of kava have reported the cases of liver toxicity, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. The scientists are still researching on this shrub in order to know more about its benefits and side effects.