On Tue, 13 May 1997, John C. Pavao wrote:

> Ok, Todd, I'll bite:  what's kava kava?  I'm looking too, with the criteria
> that it has to fit in the dietary guidelines, and it has to be legal.  Any
> ideas would be appreciated.

Ann Mulliken gave a good synopsis.  I have read that the stuff is
a root of some sort, which is mashed and prepared as a
foul-tasting liquid, drunk from bowls.  Consumed in very large
quantities, you can get more or less stoned, and that's how it is
traditionally used by the Tongans.  In lesser doses, it just has
a "mellowing" effect, without diminishing alertness.  In even
lower doses, it has no consciously noticeable effect but is
apparently effective as an anti-anxiety agent, and has been
studied for this purpose.

The active ingredients are the "kavalactones", plus some other
alkaloid synergists.

Used in very large amounts for long periods of time, it causes an
unsightly skin deformity, which goes away when you stop using it.
This makes hardcore kava-heads easy to spot.

You can buy the stuff in health food stores and, yes, I have
tried it.  I took four capsules of the dried herb and experienced
a slight warm tingly feeling in my face (fairly pleasant) and a
sensation of relaxation that lasted for about a half hour.  It's
a bit more subtle than a glass of wine, but somewhat similar.
Safer, too, since in non-megadoses it has no effect on reaction
time, etc.

I first read about this stuff in an article about "natural"
alternatives to psychiatric medications such as Prozac.

Todd Moody
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