Kava Dosage

KAVA DOSAGE

More and more people are experimenting with Kava, and many are seeking to find out the proper Kava Dosage. Not yet familiar with Kava? Before you get started on this HTH article, we’d like to suggest that you visit our Ultimate Guide to Kava Kava. After you’ve broadened your basic knowledge, you’ll benefit from reading our opinion on the proper kava dosage and the various ways that you might be able to expose yourself to it. Are you ready to get started?

Talk to Your Doctor Before Using Kava

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We want all of ours readers to know that the Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated this HerbalTeaHour.com article. Please be advised that Kava Kava is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You need to consult a health or medical professional prior to taking any form of Kava. This is particularly important if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, nursing or taking prescription medications. A number of medications can be inhibited by Kava, so you’ll want to check with your doctor. Do not take Kava with alcohol. Do not take Kava if you are less than 18 years old. Please, use Kava with caution. Speak with your doctor!

KAVA DOSAGE: GUIDE

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With more and more people asking about the proper Kava Dosage, we knew that it was time to write an article about this subject. This HerbalTeaHour.com article contains all of the important details about the proper Kava Dosage and it has been organized into a number of easy to follow categories. First, we start  with a little background information about the Kava plant so you can know what you are evaluating in the first place. Next, we have included a section about some of the different forms of Kava that are typically bought by Kava enthusiasts.

Next, we’ve included a section that lists the different ways that people purchase the derivatives of Kava that we mentioned in the prior section. We’ve added a couple of links, one to our favorite Kava Tea and one to our favorite Kava Root Powder. After that, we’ve listed our suggestions on the proper size of Kava Dosage before getting into a short section about our own experience experimenting with different Kava Dosage sizes. Let’s get started!

Kava Plant: The Basics

Kava is best described as a type of small plant or shrub.  It has traditionally been found in the Pacific Islands. Hawaii and Fiji are generally the two islands that are most frequently pointed to as being the origins of Kava. Native peoples have long used the Kava plant for several reasons, including cultural or social undertakings or events, even religious ceremonies. Some others have used the Kava plant because of its alleged medicinal benefits!

We’ve noticed that Kava has become more and more popular in recent years, particularly in various western cultures. We’ve found that Kava enthusiasts have a lot in common with modern medical patients who are seemingly turning away from synthetic medicine and treatments, instead turning to traditionally eastern remedies (citing Kava as a potential source).

Ways to Consume Kava

Kava Pills

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Great Taste!

Kava, like many other plants, has three primary parts – The Roots, the Stem, the Leaves, with the stem and the roots of the kava plant being the parts containing the highest amount of Kavalactones (the active ingredient in Kava). Many Kava enthusiasts ground down the roots and stems into a very fine powder for use in Kava Pills. Using empty capsules, Kava enthusiasts can create Kava supplements. The benefit of this method is that you can always be certain of the exact amount of Kava powder being consumed.

You can use a capsule maker (instructional video here) to insert kava powder  to create your Kava Pills. Depending on the size of your capsule maker, you can make around 100 pills at a time and it really doesn’t take much time. Many HTH readers have written in to us suggesting that Kava Pills are easy to store and travel with – just one of their other benefits!

Kava Powder

To consume Kava Powder, most will separate the Kava plant from its roots and stems and then use a variety of different tactics to grind the Kava root down into a fine powder. Of course, you can skip this step and buy kava powder from someone who has already done the leg work for you. If you are a “do it yourself-er” you might use a pestle and a bowl (like the image above) which was the method traditionally employed by the Pacific natives. You could also create the Kava powder in a  more “high tech” manner by using a specialized tool known as a mill grinder.

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Quick and Easy!

Regardless of your preference for creating it, your end goal is the same – to reduce the Kava roots and stems into a powder that you can then use in a number of different Kava related products.  HTH Tip: We have been told that the smaller pieces of root (the parts further from the stem) contain more of the  active compound in Kava (called “kavalactones”).

Kava Tea

Along with Kava in general, Kava Tea is booming. This, of course, is great news for the herbal tea community! Because of this boom in popularity, we’ve seen the number of places that have Kava available for purchase is quickly increasing. Most of our readers have reported that they can find Kava Tea at their local big box stores, the corner pharmacy, and even natural food stores. Depending on the type of Kava you buy, there is often a nutrition label on the back that contains information on the proper Kava Dosage.

Kava Tea can be brewed in a number of different ways. When making the Kava tea, do not pour boiling water over the teabags – doing so can degrade the kavalactones. You’ll want a water temperature of 140 degrees ( or 60 degrees Celsius for our friends across the pond). Try boiling the water, turning it off for a minute or so, then pouring it over your teabags. We suggest that you allow the kava tea to steep for approximately 7 minutes before enjoying (be sure to add cinnamon or sugar to help cut down on any remnants of bitter taste.

Kava Dosage: My Experience

A number of writers on the topic have opined that Kava Dosage ought to be limited such that consumers are limiting themselves to less than or equal to 250mg kavalactones per day. Remember, kavalactones are the active ingredient in Kava. To be clear, we suggest starting at much, much lower levels than this. Why? Because certain studies have shown that over ingestion of kavalactones can cause liver damage. It is for this reason that we suggest starting at no more than 50mg kavalactones per day, and working your way up from there!

For instance, when I first started consuming Kava, I did so in the form of consuming Kava tea. Take my word for it, Kava tea is suitably enjoyed in just one, maybe a maximum of two cups. This isn’t a beverage that you’ll want to binge drink. I have also been known to enjoy a cup of blended Kava milk from time to time. This is particularly “heavy” on the stomach and I found that a second cup didn’t strike me as appetizing! For that reason, I could be less mindful of my kavalactone ingestion.

I’ve pretty much stuck to brewing and consuming one cup of Kava Tea per day. To me, the process of brewing the Kava Tea is somewhat medicinal. Plus, the “Kava High” (the effect that many are seeking when desiring to consume Kava – in any form) hits me almost immediately upon drinking just one cup. The “high” isn’t an intoxication like might be associated with types of synthetic drugs. I describe it as more of a general sense of relaxation and an elevated sense of well being. Of course, the greater amount of kavalactones consumed, the greater the impact of the beverage upon your body. Be careful! Start small! Stay wise! Consume with caution!

KAVA DOSAGE: CONCLUSION

I hope this HTH article about the proper Kava Dosage has been helpful to you. The most important take away is that Kava is something to be consumed with great caution. It is important to stay up to speed on the Kava related research as it is certainly an actively evolving subject matter. If you’ve read this entire HTH article and find that you still have questions about the proper Kava Dosage, we’d suggest the you comment near the bottom of this page and let us know! We read and reply to all comments and we’d love to assist you with your questions.

Kava Dosage: Comments

What have you heard in terms of the proper Kava Dosage? Have you had any experiences where you might have taken too much? Have you found that you can experience the “Kava High” at a much lower dosage than that which we’ve  provided above? What are your preferred ways to actively monitor your kavalactone intake? Any tips you’d like to share with HTH readers? We love to hear from our readers! Please share your questions, experiences, expertise, and anything else you’d like with this herbal tea community. We read and reply to all posts!

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