Though kava’s primary role throughout Oceania is as a social, mood-enhancing traditional beverage, the plant is also part of the native pharmacopoeia of the Pacific — used medicinally for a wide range of conditions across centuries of traditional practice.
Traditional Uses
The primary traditional use of kava in folk herbalism is for urogenital inflammation. Kava has also been drunk to treat headaches, restore vigor, promote urination, soothe an upset stomach, and address respiratory conditions. Applied topically, kava has been used for fungal infections and to soothe stings and skin inflammations.
Kava’s Journey into Western Medicine
- 1860 — French researcher Cuzent isolates the first crystalline compound from kava root
- 1914 — Listed in the British Pharmacopoeia as “kava rhizome”
- 1920 — Appears in European dispensaries as a sedative and hypotensive agent
- 1950 — U.S. Dispensatory lists kava for nervous disorders
- Today — ~100 tons of kava shipped annually to European laboratories for medicinal preparations
The Role of Kavalactones
The active compounds in kava are kavalactones. While fifteen have been identified, six appear in meaningful quantities: demethoxy-yangonin, dihydrokavain, yangonin, kavain, dihydromethysticin, and methysticin.*
Research has shown that kava acts as a topical anesthetic, supports calm and relaxation, and has demonstrated muscle-relaxing properties.* An important discovery: the synergy of all kavalactones together is more powerful than any isolated compound. A single traditional shell of kava (~250mg kavalactones) can produce an effect that would require 800–1,200mg of an isolated kavalactone to replicate.*
A Note on Responsible Use
Kava is best enjoyed in appropriate serving sizes. Heavy overconsumption — far beyond normal social use — can cause health problems. Used as intended, kava has a long, well-documented history of safe community use across thousands of years of Pacific culture.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Adapted from “Kava: Medicine Hunting in Paradise” by Chris Kilham.
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