The Medicinal Benefits of Kava Kava
Kava Kava (or just kava) is a sacred root that hails from the islands in the South Pacific. It has many uses—ranging from spiritual to medicinal—and comes in many forms, such as tea, powder, and pills. You can even chew on the actual root and its leaves—in fact, that’s the most effective way of deriving the medicinal benefits of kava kava.
Once you discover the varied uses of kava kava, you’ll adopt it as your cure-all and will never look back! Let’s take a look at some of the medicinal properties offered by kava kava so you can decide if this natural root is for you.
• Kava root provides a calming effect, especially when consumed in tea form, though as a dietary supplement its effects are also strong. Similar to Valium or other anti-anxiety treatments, kava kava reduces anxiety and the stress-related symptoms that are associated with anxiety. In fact, if you are taking a benzodiazepine or tricyclic antidepressant or anxiety pills, you should refrain from using kava kava.
• Kava Kava can prevent convulsions in people who are prone to seizures.
• Kava is a muscle relaxant. It can reduce muscle tension and muscle spasms.
• Kava serves as an analgesic and can be used in pain management to reduce muscle pain, for example.
• Because kava kava is an effective anxiety reducer, people often rely on kava kava to resolve sleep problems, especially insomnia. Kava can induce a deep sleep cycle by relaxing one’s body and one’s mind.
While kava kava is a healthy and effective natural remedy, it’s always good to take some precautions when dealing with powerful treatments:
• Do not use kava kava for more than three months at a time unless directed by your doctor.
• Do not use kava root if you have a serious liver condition. Long term use of kava can exacerbate a liver problem and in some cases even cause a liver problem in a person who had no problem prior to taking kava kava.
• Kava root is not addictive, but may become less effective if taken over a long period of time.
• Side effects include shortness of breath, skin irritations, and swelling on the face—but these effects are reversible upon cessation of treatment.
So if you need to relax and your regular bubble bath isn’t doing the trick, consider brewing yourself a traditional cup of kava kava tea—your muscles and nerves will melt into a state of relaxation and you’ll finally be able to truly unwind!