The One Thing You Wish Everyone Knew About Kava

[chandra]

So I'm starting a blog about herbs and natural remedies. Of course, one of my first posts is going to be about Kava. I'm trying to keep my posts readable, which means keeping things fairly short and sweet. That being said, what is the one thing that you would love for the general population to know about kava? Top answers will be included in my post!

 

[Rick.Sanchez]

I wish people knew there is a huge difference between the garbage that normally gets sold at grocery stores or health food stores vs legit Noble kava root powder.

Ive occasionally had people tell me that kava did nothing for them, but the "kava" they tried was just some questionable extract packed into a capsule. I also hate seeing all the negative attention kava gets on drugs-forum, erowid, etc that are reports, again, being written by people who tried some garbage capsules they picked up at their local health food store.

That's not to say all extracts or all kava products sold at health food stores are bad, but a lot of it is. There's a world of difference between traditional prep with Noble kava root and the stuff that normally gets packed into capsules.

 

[chandra]

Yeah that's definitely on my must include list.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

So I'm starting a blog about herbs and natural remedies. Of course, one of my first posts is going to be about Kava. I'm trying to keep my posts readable, which means keeping things fairly short and sweet. That being said, what is the one thing that you would love for the general population to know about kava? Top answers will be included in my post!

Kava is like speaking German, it can be hard at first, unless you're German. But if you stick with it it gets better. Or not.

 

[chandra]

Lol yeah @Krunkie McKrunkface it's hard to condense even the basics into something that makes sense to someone who doesn't know anything about it.

 

[Bubba Bula]

There are a few things.
(1) I would mention Dr. Vincent Lebot's studies that noble kava is safe and non addictive.
(2) There is this reverse tolerance thing that some people get. I never had a problem with it, but some do.
(3) Dermo & the importance of drinking lots of water when drinking kava.
(4) Mention there are many different varieties of kava, each with different effects. Not sure you want to go into chemotypes..
(5) Mention the traditional ceremonial aspect of kava use in the Pacific islands.

 

[kasa_balavu]

There are a few things.
(1) I would mention Dr. Vincent Lebot's studies that noble kava is safe and non addictive.
(2) There is this reverse tolerance thing that some people get. I never had a problem with it, but some do.
(3) Dermo & the importance of drinking lots of water when drinking kava.
(4) Mention there are many different varieties of kava, each with different effects. Not sure you want to go into chemotypes..
(5) Mention the traditional ceremonial aspect of kava use in the Pacific islands.

Love this list except I'd question the need to mention kanikani if the audience for this article is people who've never had kava. It's not something they'd have to worry about when trying kava. Only people who've already decided they love kava ever get dermo, and by then they'd have dug deeper and learned more about the plant. My $0.02

 

[nickbroken]

I wish noone knew about kava so the prices would go down and it would be all mine mwahha!

 

[chandra]

Yeah I actually wrote out a section about chemotypes, but I think I'm going to take it out. Maybe stick to a basic description of heady, balanced, and heavy.
Here's what I'm thinking so far
1. what is kava
2. kava effects & benefits
3. traditional prep, micro, instant noble vs tudei,
4. why capsules and extracts aren't a good idea. brief mention of what caused the infamous liver scare here, how to select a reputable vendor
4. traditional and ceremonial use in South Pacific (would love to find a study showing lower incidences of alcoholism, violence, cancer, etc)
5. How kava affects everyone differently, reverse tolerance, that trial and error can be needed to find the right kava and right dosage
Does anyone have any scientific research about the safety of kava and the positive effects lying around? Also, I plan on including a link to the forum. There is so much useful information and (helpful people) here that I won't have room for in my article. If my article gets someone interested in kava, maybe they will come here to continue learning. I'm assuming this would be ok?

 

[The Kap'n]

I'm assuming this would be ok?

This would be perfectly fine. To help one person find kava makes it all worth it.

 

[Señor Chuggs]

I wish noone knew about kava so the prices would go down and it would be all mine mwahha!

It might actually be good to mention the uncertainty in the kava export market caused by rising global demand, vulnerability to weather, etc.

 

[PepperyPyrone]

Yeah I actually wrote out a section about chemotypes, but I think I'm going to take it out. Maybe stick to a basic description of heady, balanced, and heavy.
Here's what I'm thinking so far
1. what is kava
2. kava effects & benefits
3. traditional prep, micro, instant noble vs tudei,
4. why capsules and extracts aren't a good idea. brief mention of what caused the infamous liver scare here, how to select a reputable vendor
4. traditional and ceremonial use in South Pacific (would love to find a study showing lower incidences of alcoholism, violence, cancer, etc)
5. How kava affects everyone differently, reverse tolerance, that trial and error can be needed to find the right kava and right dosage
Does anyone have any scientific research about the safety of kava and the positive effects lying around? Also, I plan on including a link to the forum. There is so much useful information and (helpful people) here that I won't have room for in my article. If my article gets someone interested in kava, maybe they will come here to continue learning. I'm assuming this would be ok?

To me it would make sense to make noble vs. tudei a separate section prior to the prep method section. So you are like first selecting the proper kava, now how do you make it . . .

 

[Nirad]

That it's not just some weird drug. I wish there was a way to eloquently verbalize it so people who aren't familiar with it don't just drop it in the category of "Drugs are bad, mmm kay...". It's mostly a societal thing, but for instance my brother was curious about this "weird" beverage I was drinking so the best way I could explain it in a way he could relate to was to describe it as being similar to alcohol to which he responds, "oh so it's like beer, but doesn't have alcohol, so it's a drug". I said, "well technically yes but then again so is alcohol, would you like to try it?" to which he echoed what I hear from many, "Um no it's drugs!". He wasn't mad or anything about it, heck more for me, but if there was a simpler way to explain it to people like that, it'd be great, cause my brother isn't a person that wouldn't do it after he really knew about it, but was part of the generation where "just say no" was effective.

 

[Pounigirl]

Kava is like speaking German, it can be hard at first, unless you're German. But if you stick with it it gets better. Or not.

So you speak German and Portuguese too? How can you find time to learn all those languages and drink kava? hehehe

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

So you speak German and Portuguese too? How can you find time to learn all those languages and drink kava? hehehe

I'm very old, when people age, stuff accumulates. But I think you'll find lots of people around the forums here speak lots of languages. I'm not remarkable for that. And I find time to drink so much kava by getting up in the morning and starting early.

 

[nabanga]

If it was just one thing, it would be what Darin said - that it is not a "drug", at least any more than coffee. When my mother visits I often get a sideways glance like "why do you drink that stuff? Are you getting off? Is it addictive?". Even my mother in law, who is all for natural remedies, and knows every plant in the forest, gives me a weird look and questions why I take medicine when I'm not sick.
So many people who have heard of kava, but who have little familiarity beyond that think it is some legal drug & I think that is the single most important thing to get out there.

 

[Pounigirl]

I'm very old, when people age, stuff accumulates. But I think you'll find lots of people around the forums here speak lots of languages. I'm not remarkable for that. And I find time to drink so much kava by getting up in the morning and starting early.

Maybe the kava makes people more intelligent, or maybe people who are intelligent drink kava? How many languages do you speak? Just curious.

 

[chandra]

To me it would make sense to make noble vs. tudei a separate section prior to the prep method section. So you are like first selecting the proper kava, now how do you make it . . .

Makes sense. Thank you.

 

[chandra]

Ok guys. I've got my post up. Feel free to read, like, share, etc. Also open to any thoughts or constructive criticism. Thank you! http://wp.me/p7JS2i-1k

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Maybe the kava makes people more intelligent, or maybe people who are intelligent drink kava? How many languages do you speak? Just curious.

It depends entirely on whether you classify distinct dialects as languages. I just say a few. I did once buy a car manufactured in France, so I am disqualified from "intelligent." Languages are less an achievement or talent or skill than a knack, I think, like making horses feel at ease. I can't whistle or do a zillion other things people have the knack for that I wish I could do. Like I say, lots of people here speak lots of languages, nothing special about me. Not in this context, anyway. I'm probably dumber than most.