Herb. No. 025 · Piperaceae
Pacific Islands crop (Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Hawaii). Not a temperate field plant.
Native · Oceania
Kava
Piper methysticum
Regulated or restrictedHarvest
Pacific ceremonial root for social ease and muscle quiet — liver-safe only as traditional aqueous preparations.
Legal in much of the US as a supplement; banned or limited in some countries after liver-injury reports. Not scheduled as a narcotic.
Noble kava cultivars, peeled rhizome, and water extraction are the traditional form. Kavalactones ease anxiety in short trials. Cases of hepatotoxicity clustered around cheap extracts, aerial parts, and non-noble varieties. Do not drink with alcohol. Growing the plant is legal in many places; it is a sterile cultivated clone of tropical islands.
Flavor
Peppery, muddy, and numbing. Traditional water extract is earth, not dessert.
Parts used
Peeled rhizome of noble cultivars
In favor
- Noticeable anxiolysis without the same class as benzos
- Deep cultural tradition when prepared correctly
Against
- Liver risk with poor products and alcohol
- Dermopathy with heavy daily use
- Impairs driving