Kava Kava
<p><b>Kava</b> or <b>kava-kava</b> (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper%28genus%29" title="Piper (genus)">Piper</a> methysticum</i>) (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper%28genus%29" title="Piper (genus)">Piper</a></i>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin">Latin</a> for "pepper", <i>methysticum</i>: (Latinized) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek">Greek</a> for "intoxicating") is a crop of the western <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific" title="Pacific" class="mw-redirect">Pacific</a>.</p>
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The name <i>kava(-kava)</i> is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language" title="Tongan language">Tongan</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesan_language" title="Marquesan language">Marquesan</a>;<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> other names for kava include ʻ<i>awa</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii" title="Hawaii">Hawaiʻi</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa_%27ava_ceremony" title="Samoa 'ava ceremony"><i>ava</i></a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa" title="Samoa">Samoa</a>), <i>yaqona</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji" title="Fiji">Fiji</a>), and <i>sakau</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohnpei" title="Pohnpei">Pohnpei</a>).</p>
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The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedative" title="Sedative">sedative</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anesthetic" title="Anesthetic">anesthetic</a> properties. </p>
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Kava is consumed throughout the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" title="Pacific Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a> cultures of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" title="Polynesia">Polynesia</a>, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu" title="Vanuatu">Vanuatu</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesia" title="Melanesia">Melanesia</a> and some parts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronesia" title="Micronesia">Micronesia</a>.</p>
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Kava is sedating and is primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. </p>
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Its active ingredients are called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavalactones" title="Kavalactones" class="mw-redirect">kavalactones</a>. </p>
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A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane_Collaboration" title="Cochrane Collaboration">Cochrane Collaboration</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_review" title="Systematic review">systematic review</a> of its evidence concluded it was likely to be more effective than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo" title="Placebo">placebo</a> at treating short-term <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anxiety" title="Social anxiety">social anxiety</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> </p>
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Safety concerns have been raised over liver toxicity, largely due to the use of stems and leaves by supplement makers, as opposed to solely the root of the plant as dictated by traditional uses.<sup id="cite_ref-Lim_3-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-Lim-3">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Sorrentino_4-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-Sorrentino-4">[4]</a></sup> </p>
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However, based on a retrospective study of retained <i>P. methysticum</i> drug materials in Germany, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaloid" title="Alkaloid">alkaloid</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipermethystine" title="Pipermethystine">pipermethystine</a>, occurring to about 0.2% in the leaves, is an unlikely cause for the observed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatotoxicity" title="Hepatotoxicity">hepatotoxicity</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> </p>
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Whether kava hepatotoxicity may be due to contamination with aflatoxins or other mould hepatotoxins, requires further studies.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup> </p>
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Heavy use of kava with comorbid alcohol consumption or an existing liver condition appears to lead to malnutrition, weight loss, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_damage" title="Liver damage" class="mw-redirect">liver damage</a> (causing elevated serum γ -glutamyl <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transferase" title="Transferase">transferase</a> and high-density <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoprotein" title="Lipoprotein">lipoprotein</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol" title="Cholesterol">cholesterol</a> levels), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_failure" title="Renal failure">renal dysfunction</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashes" title="Rashes" class="mw-redirect">rashes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_hypertension" title="Pulmonary hypertension">pulmonary hypertension</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocytosis" title="Macrocytosis">macrocytosis</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_cells" title="Red cells" class="mw-redirect">red cells</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocytopenia" title="Lymphocytopenia">lymphocytopenia</a>, and decreasing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet" title="Platelet">platelet</a> volumes.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup></p>