Kava Health Benefits

Beyond its recreational and ceremonial use, kava is commonly used in alternative medicine as a natural anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) drug. It may also improve Anxiety, Insomnia and Inflammation with often with fewer side effects than pharmaceutical or over-the-counter sleep aids

The compounds in kava root believed to offer mood-altering properties are called kavalactones.

Anxiety

The current body of evidence suggests that kava may aid in the treatment of anxiety, although there remains contention as to how effective a drug it really is.

According to a 2002 review of studies involving seven clinical trials and 645 people, kava was deemed to be an "effective symptomatic treatment option for anxiety," even though the effect was considered "small" by the researchers.

The findings were supported by a 2011 review from Australia in which kava was considered more effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than a placebo. With that being said, a traditional kava beverage was recommended over supplements for safety reasons, along with regular liver enzyme testing to avoid toxicity.

A 2013 randomized controlled trial found that kava was effective in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. The results showed a significant reduction in anxiety and by the end of the trial, 26% of participants in the kava group experienced remission from their anxiety symptoms.

Insomnia

Most of the research devoted to the use of kava for insomnia is limited to animal studies. It is believed that a specific type of kavalactone, called kevain, may provide the drug's sedative effect.

Of the available human research, one small study from Germany concluded that people provided a daily 200-milligram kava extract experienced significant relief from insomnia after 14 days.

Despite the promising results, the conclusions were undermined by the subjective nature of "quality of sleep" questionnaire. Based on the study measures, even people provided a placebo had significant improvements in sleep.

Inflammation

Kava also has inflammatory properties, which may make it useful in the treatment of conditions in which inflammation plays a role. Some research suggests that the modification of kava compounds may be useful for increasing these anti-inflammatory effects.

However, more research is needed and some reports have suggested that kava exposure can actually induce an inflammatory response.

Cancer

Some research has found that kava may help reduce the risk of cancer. Studies have found that kava may have preventative effects on lung cancer in mice. Other research has also shown that kava might have preventative effects on prostate cancer, colon cancer, and urothelial cell cancer.

However, such results have only been observed in animal studies, and more research is needed to understand the mechanism of action and its effects in humans.

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