Kava Kava for anxiety

Hi

I have recently come across questions regarding kava kava and valerian. They are both famous for the relaxing, calming properties and have been muted as fantastic alternatives to conventional tranquilizers such as valium and xanax.

There have also been detractors. Certainly in the UK it is quite hard to fins Kava Kava as many healthfood shops stopped selling it due to somewhat dubious health scares. In truth it has been used for so long and so frequently by Pacific Island communities that it is hard to believe that it is highly toxic. It is not uncommon for alternative medicinal products to get blacklisted if they become to popular or are considered to effective. They pose a threat to the conventional products produced by big drug companies. The belief that kava kava can cause liver damage has not been proven and may well turn out to be erroneous.

In truth the more important question about kava kava is does it work? Like all of these things it seems to work for some people and not for others. A cursory look at user’s reviews shows that in fact many people felt nauseous after taking it. Others found it helped with their anxiety and some found it gave them energy. The answer with Kava Kava is to try a small dose and see what it does. However this can also be misleading, because some people have found that is was effective once and then never again, or certainly not regularly effective.

Pending further reports on Kava Kava’s health benefits and risks, I would say its probably safe to try although you should talk to your doctor first. It might work for you, and many people feel happier on something natural than they do on something chemical and pharmaceutical.

Obviously it is a bad idea to mix kava kava or any other herbal medicine with prescription medicine such as SSRI’s or tranquilizers.

Also read: Anxiety Disorder Herbal Remedies