Kava is a plant with many names—sakau, kawa, 'awa, kava kava, yagona, just to name a few. There are almost as many kava bars in the Pacific Islands as there are coffee shops in Los Angeles. People from all walks of life enjoy sipping the soothing drink at the end of a long day, on special occasions, or just to catch up with old friends. Aboriginal communities in Northern Australia started drinking kava as an alternative to alcohol in the 1980s, and they have kept doing it ever since.
Different Kinds of Kava
Variety is important when it comes to How to Make Kava. There are more than 200 different kinds of Piper methysticum, some of which are grown and some of which grow wild. But noble kava is the only kind that sells well all over the world. But some kinds of kava might be a little too strong for daily use. In fact, the island of Vanuatu stopped exporting all kinds of kava except the noble kind in 2002. A small amount of noble kava is safe to drink.
What's Noble Kava?
Several Pacific Island countries grow noble kava so that people can use it for fun. This type has kavalactones and other compounds that work well together, but it is still mild enough to drink in small amounts. Before making a drink, the roots of the noble kava plant are usually peeled and dried.
What is Two-Day Kava?
Tu dei kava, also known as "two-day kava," is another popular type of plant grown in the Pacific Islands. This type has more kavalactones and alkaloids than noble kava. But it can cause headaches and other problems as well. This type of kava is more likely to make you feel high, and some island cultures use it as a medicine.
Buy Kava Capsules
Since 2002, we've come a long way. Now, reports like the one from the WHO have confirmed that low to moderate doses of kava seems to be safe. In the United States, you can find kava capsules in health food stores and pharmacies. Researchers in medicine, on the other hand, say that a daily dose of kavalactones shouldn't be more than 250 milligrams and should only be used for short periods of time or not at all. Also, it is best to buy kava capsules that are made only from noble kava root and not from any other parts of the plant.
Buy Kava Tinctures
In addition to capsules, tinctures are another way that people often take kava. Yet, just like capsules, tinctures have been the subject of some debate. Alcohol is used as a solvent to make a tincture. Kavalactones taken from the roots of the plant dissolve in the alcohol to make a strong extract. But it's still not clear if these concentrated tinctures are more likely to make people sick or not.
Buy Kava Tea
Herbal teas often include kava root, which is usually mixed with other herbs that taste good and might work well together. Traditional kava is very different from the Kava Maker for SALE blends you can buy at the grocery store. These blends usually only have a small amount of kava in them, which is usually not enough to make your mouth feel numb like traditional kava does. Checking that the amount of kavalactones in a tea doesn't go over 250 milligrams is helpful.