Kava root is a powerful herb in the pepper family with a lot of amazing therapeutic benefits.
Some of the wonderful effects of kava root on the human body are relieving anxiety, aiding weight loss, preventing premature aging, helps people quit smoking, boosts sleep, prevents headaches, reduces the symptoms of menopause, and protect the kidneys.
What Is Kava Root?
Kava plant (Piper methysticum) is well-known worldwide as a medicinal remedy for a lot of health problems. It is also used as food.
Kava plant is commonly called kava-kava and it is native to the Western Pacific region. This plant looks like a shrub and it has its own uses but the most medicinal and useful part of kava-kava is the root.
The root of kava had a lot of organic compounds that are therapeutic. This is what makes this herb so valuable. It also contains minerals, protein, water, dietary fiber, starch, and powerful compounds called kavalactones.
The kavalactones in this herb is accessed only when kava-kava root is prepared for consumption.
How To Take Kava-Kava
Kava root can be prepared in many ways for consumption or medicine. The most common way to take kava root is to dry it and then pound or chew it to release the biochemicals in it.
Then you quickly place it in water in order to get the kavalactones hiding in the starchy cells. After mixing this with water and “catching” the kavalactones, you drink the solution as quickly as possible.
This will ensure that you have the best possible effect. The taste is not pleasant but the benefits are both pleasant and incredible.
A regular intake of this decoction will help you enjoy a lot of amazing health benefits which you will soon know.
Other forms of kava preparations are:
- Root power
- Root extract
- Tincture
- Root capsules
- Root tea
- Concentrate paste
The tea, capsules, and root extracts have mild effects while the tinctures and powders are stronger. Kava paste have the strongest effect because it is highly concentrated.
There are many varieties and strength of kava root preparations, they can be gotten in a good health shop or bought online. You don’t have to go for the strongest as they all have the same health benefits.
Start at a strength your body can tolerate and you will get the same health benefits.
Only the peeled root of kava should be used. Kava root products containing the root peelings and stem peelings cause problems like liver damage and even death. This is why some countries ban kava.
It is also banned because of potential abuse by some people.
How Does Kava Root Works?
There are many phytochemicals present in kava that boosts health and reverse diseases.
Methysticin and kavain are present in kava, they work by blocking sodium ion channel. This reduces cell excitability and excitatory neurotransmitter release.
These compounds produce a calming effect by decreasing stimulatory pathways.
Other compounds in kava-kava are yangonin, kava pyrones, dihydromethysticin, and dihydrokavain increase the production of GABA in the brain.
They activate GABA-A receptors and inhibit neurons. This, in turn, gives a calming, anti-anxiety, and sedative effect.
Multiple kavalactones like desmethoxyyangonininhibit monoamine oxidase. B. Kavalactones prevent the enyme MAOB from removing neurotransmitters from the brain.
Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine promote positive moods and improve overall health.
Below are some of the amazing health benefits of Kava root.
Impressive Health Benefits of Kava Root
Relieves pain and muscle spasms
Kava root has powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties but this is one of the most under-reported health benefits of kava-kava.
If a lot of people knew kava helps reduce pain and inflammation, there would go off synthetic painkillers which are known for dangerous side effects.
People who suffer from arthritis, or had surgery recently, or had an injury can relieve their pain and inflammation by taking a quick kava root decoction.
Treat gingivitis
Periodontal disease is not to be joked with as this is an indicator for heart disease.
Periodontal disease is caused by an inflammation of the gums and tissues surrounding the teeth. Though, this is a painless condition, it gives other symptoms that are not good.
Symptoms include bad breath red and swollen gums, bleeding gums, shifting teeth, and pulling back of the gums from the teeth.
OTC medications do not offer much help. Kava is one of the best home remedy for this condition.
Make a thick paste by mixing kava powder, 1 tablespoon of white oak bark, myrrh gum powder, and 5 drops of any essential oil.
Use this paste as toothpaste every day and watch your oral health improve.
Promote sleep
People who suffer from insomnia will find kava root very helpful. The kavalactones are responsible for the sleep-promoting property of this amazing plant.
They boost your sleep patterns, habit, and even the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. If you are suffering from restlessness or sleeplessness, adding kava root to your daily or weekly regimen will help you a lot.
Apart from promoting sleep, it eases muscle tension, body aches, and promotes deep relaxation. All these will help you sleep better.
Taking kava before going to bed will help you find a comfortable sleeping position. It will also soothe your mind and allow you drift off and enjoy long hours of night sleep without interruptions.
Reduce attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
People or kids suffering from this condition can be helped with this amazing herb. It even treats cases that St. John’s worth or Gingko Biloba can’t.
It has sedative properties and improves cognitive abilities.
Relieves anxiety
One of the most common natural aids for anxiety is kava-kava. Kava root have strong anxiolytic effect exploited and well used by herbal practitioners.
Kava root relieve anxiety in many ways. It balances hormones in the body and also controls the release of cortisol, the stress hormone into the bloodstream.
Kava root extracts and decoctions calm your mind and body and leave you feeling calm and contended.
By regulating the amount of stress hormone in your bloodstream, kava root protects you from a lot of potential dangers.
Stress is a silent killer and responsible for a lot of chronic diseases claiming lives in the world today.
Treats sore throat, sore gums, and toothache
Kava can handle all these because it contains anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anesthetic properties. Chew ¼ piece of kava root for 5 minutes daily.
You can also apply the drops on the affected area. Drinking kava tea can also give you relief.
Prevents headache
This herb is highly effective against headaches due to its pain and inflammation-relieving properties.
It is even highly effective against migraines. Taking a quick decoction will offer a quick relief from these conditions.
Reduces the risks of cancer
Kava when taken regularly, reduces your risk of cancer. It does this by stopping the growth of tumors and cancerous cells.
Protects your kidneys
If you are at risks of kidney problems or you just want to protect those precious organs because of the immense roles they play in your heath, then include kava tea in your regimen.
In herbal medicine, kava root is used to treat kidney and urinary tract infections.
If you have recurrent kidney infection or UTI, kava root is for you. Take it daily or few times weekly to help you heal and prevent the recurrence.
Kava also dissolves kidney stones. It is an effective and natural calcium blocker. It controls the movement of calcium in the body.
Kava also relaxes the urethra. Drinking kava tea is a safe and effective way to dissolve kidney stones. It offers significant relief. Even taking this regularly, can prevent kidney stones and other kidney problems.
Deal with stroke
Kava prevents ischemic stroke from re-occurring. It gives protection to people who have had stroke before and prevents it occurrence in people who have never had stroke.
It also protects the brain and hastens faster recovery from stroke.
Helps women going through menopause
Menopause occurs in every woman as they come to the end of their reproductive life. In this condition, they stop menstruating.
The transition can be uncomfortable and even long. Some of the symptoms they would experience are anxiety, mood swings, hormonal imbalance, cramps, hot flashes, etc.
Kava root help menopausal women overcome these symptoms. Studies have even shown that it is superior to OTC menopause treatments.
Lowers cholesterol
A preliminary study suggests that kava reduces cholesterol, skin fold thickness, and body fat.
Boosts weight loss
Kava-kava boosts weight loss by getting rid of worry, anxiety, and stress. These are the common triggers of weight gain and obesity.
Stress makes a lot of people overeat and you know this can lead to excessive body weight. So, kava root prevent and reduce weight gain by eliminating stress.
This, in turn, prevents overeating and snacking between meals.
Relieves erectile dysfunction
Kava can be of help to men suffering from ED as it has the ability to calm the nerves and reduce stress. Stress and anxiety are some of the root causes of ED.
If your ED is caused by stress or anxiety, this can be a very good herbal remedy. It also treats premature ejaculation. It causes sexual stimulation and does all these by increasing the flow of blood to the penis.
Take kava root powder before engaging in sexual intercourse.
Prevents premature aging
Kava root is loaded with lots of antioxidants (chalcones). These powerful compounds (Chalcones) help your body fight off free radicals that cause aging.
Free radicals are dangerous and they are the by-product of cellular respiration. They can cause the apoptosis or mutation of healthy cells if they are allowed to roam free in the body.
This not only lead to premature aging, but deadly diseases like cancer.
Kava-root has life-giving properties by reducing the activities of free radicals in the body. The concentration of antioxidants in kava root is so high.
Chalcones also have antimicrobial and anticancer properties.
Helps people quit smoking
Are you trying to quit smoking? Then kava root is for you. There are many health benefits of quitting smoking and we encourage you to do so.
One powerful herb that will help you on this journey is kava-kava. It even helps people quit not only cigars but drugs and alcohol.
It curbs the craving and eliminates the anxiety that comes with a withdrawal syndrome. So when you feel like all you want in the world right now is a cigarette, take kava.
Take kava root decoction and it will calm your nerves. Consume this each time you feel like desperately breaking a promise you made to yourself or to a loved one.
Does Kava Root Have Side Effects?
While kava root looks like a messiah to most health problems, there are some care that you should take when consuming it.
Don’t ever take kava root with alcohol. Kava on its own is a strong herb and it gives a little feeling of “high” and high energy and clarity when you take it.
Combining this with alcohol can be disastrous. It will cause disorientation and become an unpleasant situation.
Also, don’t mix kava with antidepressants or anxiolytics. It can also be disastrous.
Some countries placed a ban on kava because of its intoxicating property. So you have to be sure it is legal to get and use kava in your country.
If you are taking kava, take it in moderation as excess of it can damage your liver. However, some studies prove that there are poor evidence to show that kava is toxic or has risks.
Finally, before you use kava, please consult a trained herbalist.
What Dose of Kava is Healthy?
Experts recommend that you shouldn’t take more than 250mg of kavalactones. An effective dose of kevalactones is between 70 to 250 mg.
Check the label of kava supplements to know the dose. They write in milligrams or as percentage. If it is written in percentage, you will have to do a little math to know the amount of kavalactones it contains.
For instance, if one capsule of kava supplement contains 100 mg of kava root extracts, and it is standardized to contain 30% kavalcotones, this means it contains 30 mg of kavalactones.
100 mg X 0.30 = 30 mg.
To reach an effective dose of 70 to 250 mg of kavalactones, you have to take at least 3 capsules.
Most kava extracts contain 30 to 70% of kavalactones.
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- Kava and mental health JCP, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI,
- Side effects of kava SD, WOL, SD, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI,
- Kava and its antioxidants SD, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI, NCBI,
- Kava and anticancer activity NCBI, NCBI, UCI, MSK, PDF
- Germany lifts ban on Kava due to poor evidence of risks NCBI,
