Best Kava Kava Supplement Brands – Which Products Should you Buy?

What do the best kava kava products have in common? They should be made only from kava roots and rhizomes – and they should be water extracted, not made with alcohol or acetone.

Kava kava is a common name for the Piper methysticum plant as well as for the beverages made from it.

Kava tea has been consumed as a ceremonial beverage on certain Pacific islands for hundreds of years. It was used widely for social purposes, but research shows that it also has medicinal properties. [1]

Drinks and dietary supplements made from this plant are commonly taken to promote relaxation, stress relief, improved mood and better sleep. There have been concerns raised about the safety of certain preparations of this plant.

In the past, kava was thought to be the cause of more than one hundred cases of liver toxicity, some that resulted in death. [2]

Most of the toxicity cases examined were found to not be related to kava specifically, but rather to inferior manufacturing processes involving alcohol/acetone extraction and to certain supplements made with aerial (above-ground) parts of the herb. [2]

The stems of kava plant uniquely contain pipermethyasine which is believed to cause liver damage. The best kava supplements will be made only from subterranean plant parts: rhizomes and roots. [2]

Kava

Herbal Supplement

Anxiety

Mood

Sleep

How It Works:

• Reduces feeling of anxiety & stress
• Improves feeling of wellbeing
• Shown to improve sleep & insomnia

Dosage:

Between 100 - 300 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

Top Kava Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Best Kava Kava Supplements

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database states that kava is contained in more than 280 dietary supplement products. Not all of these products are equivalent and you should take time to select a high-quality product.

Kava is available to buy as a whole rhizome/root, in oral tablets, capsules, tea bags, powders, liquid extracts, tinctures, topical pastes and other forms.

What is the best form of kava kava to use? It depends on personal preferences as well as your reasons for taking this product.

You should begin by searching for products sourced from organic kava rhizome, free of above-ground plant parts. Rhizomes are roots that run horizontally instead of vertically.

Make sure that the kava supplement you select is water-extracted. It is not recommended to use supplements that have been extracted with alcohol, acetone or any other substance than purified water.

Some users like the convenience of oral kava capsules and tablets. One common complaint about kava tea and other beverages is that they have very earthy tastes that some people find unpleasant.

If you are buying dietary supplements that contain this ingredient, look for brands that are manufactured in cGMP compliant facilities. Some retailers will provide their third party Certificates of Authenticity when asked.

Best Brands to Buy

Some of the reputable and well-reviewed kava supplement manufacturers include Gaia Herbs, The Vitamin Shoppe, Puritan’s Pride and Nature’s Plus. There are dozens of other manufactures too.

On Amazon, the following products are listed as best-sellers and have high user reviews:

• Wakacon KAVA Fijian WAKA powder, 1 LB (Amazon’s Choice)
• NOW Kava Kava 250 mg,120 Veg Capsules
• Yogi Tea, Kava Stress Relief, 16 Count (Pack of 6)
• Gaia Herbs Kava Kava Root Liquid Phyto-Capsules, 60 Count
• Kavana Supplements Kava Kava Root Extract Dietary Supplement, 60 Veg Capsules
• Source Naturals Serene Science Kava 500mg For Occassional Anxiety – 30 Tablets
• NOW Kava Kava Extract Liquid,2-Ounce
• Wakacon KAVA LAWENA powder – Fijian Premium Noble High Quality Kava Root ( LB)

Finding the best kava kava brand for you may take some comparison shopping. It is important to read user reviews and select a product that has a history of customer testimonials.

Nootriment provides a guide for how to not get ripped off when buying supplements online. Reading this guide can help you select the best kava supplement for your needs and tastes.

Strongest Extracts Available

Kava supplement manufacturers from Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti and various other locations all claim to offer the strongest extracts. The strength of an extract depends on the levels of bioactive plant chemicals called kavalactones that it contains.

Some of the best-studied kavalactones include dihydromethysticin, kawain (kavain), dihydrokavain, methysticin and yangonin. Different products have different ratios of these certain kavalactones, as well as different amounts of each type contained. [1]

Kava supplements can contain anywhere from 3% up to more than 15% active kavalactones. It depends on where the kava was sourced, how it was harvested and handled, if and how long it was stored before being used and the methods used to prepare it in supplement form. [1]

According to NMCD, some medical-grade kava extracts are concentrated with up to 70% active kavalactones.

Negative Side Effects

There are a few possible side effects and drug interactions associated with using this natural health product. Some of the common adverse effects users report include:

• Upset stomach, nausea, vomiting;
• Drowsiness;
• Dry mouth;
• Headache;
• Dizziness;

Other possible adverse effects of kava extract supplements include involuntary movement of the head and neck, oculomotor disturbance and allergic skin reactions.

Previously, it was thought that this plant could cause liver toxicity if overused. However, research shows that only specific Kava products that were manufactured in certain ways caused a risk of liver harm.

According to a 2016 meta-analysis of literature from the past 15 years, there is a “clear positive benefit-to-risk ratio for kava.” [3]

NMCD states that there is a major safety concern for those using kava supplements concomitantly with CNS depressants. Do not use this herb with benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol and/or any other agents which can affect motor coordination and/or cause drowsiness.

There is a moderate risk for interactions between kava and medications including alprazolam, cytochrome P450 substrates, haloperidol, levodopa, P-glycoprotein substrates and drugs known to be hepatotoxic.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, anyone using this product should limit consumption to 4 weeks duration before discontinuing temporarily.

UMM also states that individuals with any type of liver dysfunction, including cirrhosis and hepatitis, should not use kava supplements. They state that all people using kava should get regular liver enzyme tests to make sure they safe. [4/a>]

You should talk to your primary doctor or other healthcare provider before starting to use this supplement. Remember the best kava kava will be organic, pipermethysticin-free and water-extracted.

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