Possible potentiation predicament

[Edward]

I'm still intrigued by the way the kava effect is sometimes heightened by consuming certain things particularly dairy. With experience I am finding that if I consume a good amount of kava (say 6 tablespoons) and then take in some milk, although it has worked with other dairy products, I can get a real rush of warm, happy feelings. If I don't then I still feel the kava but it tends to be a little more subdued. Also, if I don't do the milk thing the previous night I am prone to having the rush the next morning. My theory is that for some reason my body won't use the KL's in the kava right off the bat and it needs some help to get going. If they are not used at the time of taking the kava then they hang around in my system until the next day and can be triggered then. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Yeah warm milk seems to bring it out more for me. For obvious reasons.
I don't know about you edward. But I am a slender man. I have prolly no more than a pound or two of body fat. I wonder if that plays a role. As maybe the body uses the residual fat in the body to use for kavalactones but if you don't have much to spare per se, a good fat source can help .

 

[Edward]

@Mrbinx69 well after my tooth problems and my spell on the alcohol I'm a bit more lardy than I was but that soon drops away once I drink kava regularly. At the moment though I would say I'm carrying a bit more fat than usual, not obese but not slim looking and I find some dairy helps. I think I could even cut down my dosages and make a point of getting some milk in and still get a nice effect. Something I've got to try.

The other weird thing about it that I didn't mention is that if you mix the kava with the milk and drink it together it doesn't appear to work, you have to drink the kava, wait a bit and then drink the milk... this could be complete nonsense, I have to try it out a few more times first but it appears that way. Anyone else?

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

I know your looking for more people but I definitley noticed that as well.
It only works later. Like last night I was pretty much just feeling the sedative aspect of kava laying down hours after drinking it and then had some warm milk and I mean I could FEEL it. Colors got slightly brighter mood increases .. sedation actually increased but so did that joyful motivation in the backround

 

[dino9832]

I'm going to have to pay attention to what and when I eat, in relation to the effect from kava. I could swear I HAVE noticed this in the past.
For the record, I eat a vegetarian diet and have about 16% body fat according to my Tanita scale. I don't drink but maybe a swig of milk at times.

Maybe the milk mixes with the kava and carries it through the digestive tract? That might make more surface area contact and aid in the absorption. Otherwise, it sort of sits and gets absorbed later.

 

[Edward]

I know your looking for more people but I definitley noticed that as well.
It only works later. Like last night I was pretty much just feeling the sedative aspect of kava laying down hours after drinking it and then had some warm milk and I mean I could FEEL it. Colors got slightly brighter mood increases .. sedation actually increased but so did that joyful motivation in the backround

Oh no no! Always very happy to hear from you!!!

I've just had 1 teaspoon of instant in about 6 or 7 oz of cold milk and I am actually getting the same warm glow in the muscles. It seems odd, it's a low dose for me and yet I am getting quite a nice effect from it. I started light to see what the effect might be, it's been about 15 mins so I will have another.

I notice that if I have a lot of kava and then drink the milk it can be like a bomb going off inside me with really strong effects. Maybe I just need the milk to get the same effects that everyone else gets anyway?! I'm going to keep trying this out and see where I get.

 

[Edward]

@dino9832 you could be onto something there. However it works it definitely seems to make a difference for me. I will keep experimenting, see what works best and post here.

 

[Edward]

Shell number 2 down, only another teaspoon but working ok, building a nice effect without a big hit. I'm guessing for more of an initial "rush" I could mix more but this is suiting me for tonight.

Some other points to mention... I don't actually mind the taste of kava and milk. I mean I like the taste of kava anyway but the two together isn't as bad as it sounds. Also a little bit of milk does help to calm the stomach. After 4 or 5 hours of not eating which is what I typically am at kava in water can be a bit harsh but I think the milk is helping with that.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Yeah the milk is like a mini food. It's the basis of Cereal. Lol that's what I usually have when I wanna keep my krunk but not be starving lol

 

[violet]

There's many who report potentiation from ingesting (especially fatty) foods after kava. Kava lactones are fat soluble, which may account for some of it. Ice cream has been mentioned as a good potentiator.

I usually add a little heavy cream to my grog to help with absorption without adding too much. It also smooths out astringent and bitter flavors quite well.

 

[Edward]

Well I think 3 teaspoons of instant is going to do me for tonight, half of what I had last night with similar effects! I'll try mixing it a little stronger next time and get a sense for how much I actually need.

 

[dino9832]

I've been timing my kava drinking just before eating, for sake of my stomach!..lol. But, I think I'll try what Edward mentioned. As soon as I get home, add some micronized kava to a glass of milk instead of water. Then, wait awhile before eating.

...Some other points to mention... I don't actually mind the taste of kava and milk. I mean I like the taste of kava anyway but the two together isn't as bad as it sounds. Also a little bit of milk does help to calm the stomach. After 4 or 5 hours of not eating which is what I typically am at kava in water can be a bit harsh but I think the milk is helping with that.

 

[Edward]

Well that went ok, had food and some more milk and feeling fine. I wonder how it will work with root powder? Anyway, going to bed now and got some more milk ready for the morning to chug so we'll see if I get another lift after that or if all the kava has been "used" up this evening?

 

[kilakila]

Hmm. This is verrrry interesting! I've not got much body fat on me. I've had some good effects from certain kavas but I'm sure I can experience more!! I'm not a big fan of milk, but I'm willing to try some warm milk after my kava tonight. And maybe warm milk with my cereal in the morning. This is a good experiment!

 

[ta-va]

I'm also gonna try this with my instant now. If it makes it go further, everyone's a winner, right?
What kind of milk are you using? Full fat/semi skimmed/Skimmed?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

im gonna microwave some high fat chocolate bars for potentiation

 

[Bear-Shirt]

im gonna microwave some high fat chocolate bars for potentiation

The sugar will rot your brain and teeth tho.

 

[verticity]

In addition to fatty foods, spicy foods can have this potentiating effect as well. So I imagine if you mix about a tablespoon of cayenne pepper with a cup of whole milk the effect would be...interesting. Any volunteers to try this?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

The sugar will rot your brain and teeth tho.

tad too late

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

In addition to fatty foods, spicy foods can have this potentiating effect as well. So I imagine if you mix about a tablespoon of cayenne pepper with a cup of whole milk the effect would be...interesting. Any volunteers to try this?

cayenne in milk, i can't do it. but i like that spicy coconut cream thai soup...not too far off.
my nightly potentiator is typically spiciness mixed with fat. Spicy ramen (or any soup), spicy curries, pizza with sriracha, beef and cheese burrito with hot sauce.
soup type stuff seems to be more reliable for kickin' it up a notch.