Life in Balance
Aloha! It was interesting to read a recent news report in the Fiji Daily Post on a research study proclaiming Fijian women consume more kava than men. This research also made the claim that kava brings overall “laziness to the community.” The article mentioned the research being conducted in two “major yaqona consuming villages,” although it did not name them. Yoqona is what the national kava brew is called in Fiji. The article was critical of this research and posed the questions: “[How] does one define a ‘major yaqona consuming village’? Does it...
Read MoreHow Can Kava Help With Anxiety?
Jason asked: Hi. I suffer from anxiety constantly, and take Ativan on a daily basis. I want to get away from all of the side effects. What are some of the similarities and differences in the way that kava helps with anxiety? Makaira says: Jason, unfortunately we are not doctors, and cannot legally offer you such information. We are not qualified to comment on pharmaceuticals; only pharmaceutical companies and doctors can do so. We can tell you that Kava has been prescribed in Europe for many years to treat anxiety, and that it has also been used by our culture as long as recorded history...
Read MoreKava In a Nutshell
A report stating that Kava caused liver damage was released in 2001 but ended up backfiring on the “powers that be” who sought to ban its use. As a result, there was a rash of studies (both informal and clinical) aimed to see if Kava was as bad as the report stated, despite the fact that with over 3,000 years of use throughout Oceania, there wasn’t a single death linked directly to Kava root use. These clinical studies have shown that the Kava herb (when using only the roots and NOT the leaf or stem) is a (I’m only quoting a source here) “safe non-addictive...
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