KAVA TINCTURE
Skip Ahead To:
People are becoming more and more familiar with tinctures. Kava enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that Kava Tincture is experiencing equal growth in popularity. Before you dig into this post, please visit HTH’s Ultimate Guide to Kava Kava – our Ultimate Guide provides a big picture overview of all things Kava related. After visiting the Ultimate Guide, its time to learn about Kava Tinctures – What are they? Are they right for you? Let’s get started.
Communicate with your Doctor Prior to Consuming Kava
First, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated this HerbalTeaHour.com post or any other post found on HerbalTeaHour..com. Please be aware that Kava Kava is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You need to communicate with a licensed medical doctor or health or medical professional prior to using any form of Kava. This step is particularly important if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, nursing or taking prescription medications. Be advised that some medications on the market can be detrimentally impacted by Kava. Never consume Kava with alcohol. Do not consume Kava is you are under the age of 18. Consult with your doctor, period.
KAVA TINCTURE: GUIDE
We have written this article to create a resource to contain everything you need to know about Kava Tincture. Because this is a very broad topic, we have organized this post into a number of separate categories. First, we go over some basic information about Kava Kava so that you are familiar with the baseline product. Next, we define “tincture”, a word that is unfamiliar to many of our readers, and talk a little bit about the other names used to refer to the same thing.
After that, we discuss Kava Tincture – what it is, what it is used for, where you can find it, and a number of other pieces of helpful information. Next, we have included a link to a couple of our favorite kinds of Kava Tincture where you can visit the product page to learn more about whether either of them could be a good fit for you and your Kava consumption. We’ve also included a short summary of our own experience with Kava Tincture. Let’s dig in!
What is Kava?
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. An affiliate link means that we may earn advertising/referral fees if you make a purchase through our links.
A plant or small shrub (pictured above), Kava is experiencing an explosion in popularity. Traditionally, Kava has been found in the Pacific Islands (Hawaii or Fiji). Natives have used Kava for centuries. Most cite to the native people’s use of Kava in cultural or social or events (like weddings) or for religious ceremonies.
Kava is believed to have psychoactive components known as “kavapyrones” and “kavalactones”. These are naturally occurring. The largest number are found in the roots and stems. Many people elect to ingest Kava in one of three prevailing methods – Kava Tea, Kava Pills or Kava Root Powder. There is, however, a relatively new type of way to consume Kava – Kava Tincture!
Kava Tincture – The Basics
Ok, so what is a “tincture”? We are believers in developing the best possible understanding of a concept, so we’ve included three different basic definitions to help paint the picture. A tincture can be defined as, “an extract, usually of plant or animal substance, that is created through ethyl alcohol”, or “a kind of medicine or supplement that is created by dissolving a base material in alcohol” and finally “a very small trace of a base element”.
When people are referring to a Kava Tincture, they are essentially referring to a liquid extract of the Kava plant. Advocates of extract or tincture state that the product is more easily absorbed into the user’s bodily system and is therefore more “fast acting”. Also, advocates will point to the fact that one can consume a lesser volume of Kava and achieve the same (or even greater) impact of Kava upon the body. Finally, be aware that you might sometimes see Kava Tincture marketed under the name “piper methysticum”.
Kava Tincture – How its Made
We have created the short checklist below to serve as a guide for anyone who is interested in the process by which Kava Tincture is created. Remember, further down in this article we have included some links to some Kava Tinctures where the hard work has already been done for you. That said, we found the process to be interesting and we hope you do too:
- Fresh Kava roots are purchased. Many use both the primary (the thick part) and the lateral (the skinny roots) to create the kava tincture. Some peel the roots, others do not.
- The Kava root can be cut with standard food grade sheers or scissors. These need to be cleaned beforehand and afterwards to avoid any cross contamination.
- The mix is then blended for 45 – 90 seconds, prior to being poured from the blender into resting (or mason) jars
- The liquid is allowed to rest in a reasonably temperature controlled setting for approximately two weeks before being exposed to a tincture press.
- After being run through the tincture press (shown above), the result is Kava Tincture!
Kava Tincture – The Basics
Whether its Kava tea or Kava Tincture, many who consume Kava related product will note the strong or bitter taste associated with the product. A consumer of Kava tea can, of course, mitigate this taste by adding cinnamon or sugar to the drink after it has steeped. This is not so easy with Kava Tincture. You need to remember, however, that Kava Tincture is, by definition, a much, much smaller volume. Because of this, you can mix the tincture in with a larger, more tasty, beverage. Also, if you are consuming the Kava Tincture straight, you can wash it down quickly with another (non-alcoholic) beverage of choice!
As mentioned above, there are a number of manufacturers of Kava Tincture who can save you from having to take the “do it yourself” approach that we’ve listed earlier in this article. Typically, these sellers will offer the tincture in 2oz or 4oz bottles, though we’ve seen sizes in excess of 10oz!
Most manufacturers have created their Kava Tincture to be consumed 1 or 2 times daily, using a full dropper’s worth of content each time. HerbalTeaHour..com always suggests that its readers start very, very slow with Kava, so we would urge you to consider starting with maybe a quarter of the suggested frequency and dosage and working your way up from there. This is also a good way to find the dosage that is right for you. If you take too high of a dosage to begin with, you may be tricked into believing that you always need such a high dosage to achieve the result you are looking for!
Kava Tincture – Buy the Best
(Commissions Earned)
There are several manufacturers of Kava Tincture. In fact, the list seems to be growing year after year, with better and better quality product hitting the market. This is great news for Kava Tincture enthusiasts! We’ve listed two of our favorite types of Kava Tincture below. These particular types have been on the market long enough to establish a history and reputation for offering quality and consistent Kava Tincture.
The Kava Tincture shown above is non-alcoholic. This is one of the distinctions commonly found within the tincture market. Some have alcohol (small amounts) and some do not. The above tincture cites its origin as the island of Hawaii, Â yielding a product that has no pesticides, preservatives, heavy metals, or Gluten.
(Commissions Earned)
This Kava Tincture does have small amounts of alcohol. The manufacturer suggests that its users consume 2 droppers worth of Kava Tincture, dissolved into juice or herbal tea (our favorite!) roughly 1 to 3 times each day according to your needs and your doctor’s oversight. Be careful, the manufacturer suggests limiting your intake to no more than one month of consecutive daily use!
Kava Tincture: My Experience
I usually like to consume Kava Tea, but there are times when I find myself craving other kinds of tea while still desiring the effects of Kava. This is why Kava Tincture became so appealing to me. I had experience with other types of tincture (CBD Oil, for instance) so I knew generally what to expect. I also knew that I did NOT want to make my own Kava Tincture, but would prefer that such step be left to the pros!
I have tried each of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic Kava Tinctures shown above. Each is somewhat… “strong”, in taste. I quickly realized that I preferred taking the tincture in a cup of warm herbal tea, and not straight (or even diluted with water). The results were equivalent, if not a bit stronger, than that associated with my standard intake of kava tea. This was a nice surprise, because it is always good to have a couple of different methods for Kava ingestion in case you become somewhat stuck in a routine and desire to make a change!
I do suggest that you start very, very small and work your way up from there. Remember, tincture (extract) is basically a super concentrated version of the active ingredients found in kava. You’ll want to start with a very low dose and to not become overconfident when you see the relatively small bottle of Kava Tincture and feel that you need a little “extra” to make up for the volume. That is simply not true and could be very dangerous! Stick to the manufacturer’s directions printed on the label and always, always talk to your doctor!
KAVA TINCTURE: CONCLUSION
We’ve written this post about Kava Tincture to create a free resource for this herbal tea community. A “tincture” is a term that is becoming more and more familiar on today’s market, but its always nice to have a further understanding of exactly what it is, and specifically how it related to Kava.
Remember, if you have read this article and have any questions about Kava Tincture, please comment on the Comment board near the bottom of this page. We read and reply to all comments and we are true believers that the herbal tea community vastly benefits from having an interactive message board to reference. Remember, if you have a question, there can be no doubt that someone else on this community is wondering the same thing. Speak up! It is to the benefit of us all!
Kava Tincture: Comments
Had you ever heard of a “tincture” before reading this HerbalTeaHour..com article? Did you know that Kava Tincture has readily available on the market? Did you know that you could make your own by using the reference above as a guide? Have you experimented with Kava Tincture? What were your impressions? Did you decide on a particular dosage that you felt was right for you? Do you dissolve it into herbal tea or do you consume it by itself? Please post in the Comments section and lets us know your thoughts, tips and opinions, we’d love to hear from you!
HerbalTeaHour.com is an herbal tea community that truly values transparency and disclosures. We want to be very clear about one thing. In addition to being herbal tea enthusiasts, we do participate in the Amazon Affiliate program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.