Article / Kava Story

Getting to the Root of the Kava Story

by Gary Mack and Jessica Dofflemyer

Copyright 2002

Throughout the islands of the islands of Vanuatu, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga, stretching into the northern islands of Hawaii, grows a species of pepper, Piper methysticum. More widely known as Kava or ‘Awa, this heart shaped, green leaf plant thrives in the tropical climates of the Pacific. Who would have thought that this ancient herb, which has lent its roots to the peoples of these islands for over 3000 years, would find itself making headlines around the world and providing lawsuits for internet attorneys? What’s all the flurry around this plant known for providing relaxation, clarity of thought and mild euphoria?

To begin to understand kava is to know its place in Pacific Island cultures. For thousands of years this plant has, literally, been at the root of community life. It continues to play a key role in nearly all public functions and holds a sacred place in ceremonies among chiefs and priests. Its relaxing properties yield a communion that bonds friends and family. It is said the awareness invoked by kava brings union with the gods and ancestors. Kava holds such an integral place in Samoan society, a picture of the traditional kava bowl is featured on their currency.

By the end of the 1800’s, the western world began to regard kava for its medicinal qualities. Known to treat an array of ailments such as migraine headaches and rheumatism, as well as assisting with urinary tract infections and fungal infections, kava became included in the European Pharmaceutical Codex. Today, kava is appreciated for its aid in easing anxiety and stress as well as minimizing menopausal symptoms, phobias and the edginess related with quitting smoking.

In recent days, kava has met the complexities of the modern world and its fate currently remains in question. In 2001, a small amount of widely disputed reports spawned a chain of kava bans and suspensions throughout France, Ireland and Great Britain. Out of an estimated 100 million kava doses taken in Europe that year, 36 reported cases, possibly linking kava extract and liver function, led the herb to become inaccessible to the public. Concern spread to the US where a barrage ofnewspaper and magazine articles questioned the supplement’s safety.

Both Donald Waller, Ph.D., a board certified toxicologist, and the FDA investigated the reports. Waller submitted his determinations to the FDA, stating that he found “no clear evidence that the liver damage reported in the U.S. and Europe was caused by the consumption of kava” and “based on currently available information, that kava when taken in appropriated doses for reasonable periods of time has no scientifically established potential for causing liver damage.” Many of the patients in the reported cases had histories of alcohol abuse or pre-existing liver problems and over half of the European cases involved the use of kava with hepato-toxic drugs. Waller addressed these instances by stating that the adverse reactions “appear to have been hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic base responses.” One month later, the FDA issued a consumer advisory which states, in essence, that the jury is still out. With no concrete evidence linking kava extract to liver function, the advisory concludes with an agreement that the FDA will “continue to investigate the relationship, if any, between the use of dietary supplements containing kava and liver injury.”

With regards to the public’s awareness and the representation of kava, the important distinction between kava root and kava extract needs to be clear. As kava came to be seen as a health supplement for the modern world, extracts of highly concentrated parts of the plant were created that standardized a level of kavalactones. This modified preparation of the ancient herb is one form presently available to consumers and the type involved in every reported case. No known cases have ever been reported linking traditionally prepared kava with liver disfunction. In fact, kava has been used for hundreds of years in dosages far greater than those found in herbal extracts with no links to liver damage.

In light of these reports, various questions have been raised about kava extract. Some ask whether adverse reactions were caused by outside ingredients used in the process of extraction. Still others wonder if the westernized pill form is lacking in some important compounds that assist with the body’s assimilation of the plant. With kava ranking as a top seller among alternative health remedies, one thing seems apparent; this tropical plant has moved beyond ceremony and is now placed in a market influenced by money and politics.

As concern has arisen about the possible side effects of kava, some have posed another question: Why is so much attention drawn to a small amount of rare cases, which were never proven to be linked to kava, when the possible side effects of most over-the-counter and prescription drugs are a proven risk? Kava’s pharmaceutical equivalents of Valium, or even Tylenol, have demonstrated much greater risks than anything of which kava has been accused. The leading cause of liver failure in Western countries is the overdose of acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol. Valium, an anti- anxiety drug prescribed daily by doctors, creates risk of liver damage, as well as addiction and concomitant withdrawal symptoms that can include seizures. Understanding this seeming contradiction may lie with the fact that pharmaceutical companies spend more than any other industry in lobbying and campaign contributions.

In the instances leading up to the FDA’s consumer advisory, it seems as though kava’s makeshift media trial was one in which it was guilty until proven innocent. Unfortunately, this has lead to confusion and misinformation for the general public. Despite headlines, kava has stood the test of time within the Polynesian culture and there is no doubt islanders will continue enjoying kava as they have for thousands of years. Hopefully, kava and its many benefits will continue to be shared by the rest of the world. The first step is to dig in and get to the root of it.