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Uses of Kava Kava Extract

For generations the Polynesians and Pacific Islanders have used the root of the kava plant for its social and mood-enhancing properties and as an herbal medicine to treat a variety of health problems, from inflammation of the urinary tract to headaches. In 1860 a German researcher named Cuzent became the first to investigate the scientific validity of these uses, isolating several of the kavalactones believed responsible for these reported benefits. Within a few decades, German herbal shops began carrying kava-based remedies. As of 2010, European labs receive 100 tons of kava per year for the preparation of kava-based medicines.

  1. Analgesic / Anesthetic

    • In 1988, the Alternative Medical Review reported that four of the lactones in kava possess significant analgesic and anesthetic effects via non-opiate pathways. Kava is used to relieve back pain, neck pain and any other sore, cramped, injured or aching muscles. Many women use kava kava extract to treat menstrual cramps and menopausal symptoms. It should, however, be avoided during pregnancy and while nursing.

    Anxiety / Stress Relief

    • As early as the 1920s, European dispensaries began distributing kava as a hypotensive and a sedative, with the U.S. following in the 1950s, dispensing the kava-based medicine Neurocardin to treat nervous disorders. In 1996, German scientists at Jena University conducted a double-blind study which found that 100 mg of kava taken three times a day over 25 weeks relieved anxiety in 58 of 101 participants. A 2009 report published in Psychopharcology by Australian researchers from the University of Queensland found that, "Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side effects."

    Urological Issues

    • Kava kava extract is used to treat inflammations of the urinary tract and bladder. French pharmaceutical company Merrell Dow makes Kaviase, a kava-based remedy for urinary tract infections. Kava also is used to increase urination.

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