Kava Fact of the Day Kava ichthyosis (dermopathy) in Fiji.

[The Kap'n]

Kava Skin - A sign of privilege ?

Today’s fact of the day is short, but it has quite the implication. According to research in Fiji, people that have experienced some form of skin issue from kava see the condition as a sign of privilege. Treatment for this condition is generally not sought [1]. Skin side effects, or “kani kani” are viewed as positive indicators that you have the access and/or money to regularly consume kava. This may also be true for other island nations, as even songs have been written, boasting about the condition [2]. It is interesting in that some of the “negative” side effects we often see espoused by officials are actually seen as positive by the people who consume kava.




[1] White, C. Michael. 2018. “The Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, and Adverse Events Associated With Kava.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 58 (11): 1396–1405. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.1263.

[2] Nawarake. (2015, October 18). Nawarake ft Metoxide - Kava Skin [Video]. Youtube.

 

[faldho]

from this link: https://www.rootsofbeing.com/kava-dermopathy/#Dermopathy_and_Tradition

In the South Pacific islands, users would go on a kava bender for weeks, in order to intentionally induce a large outbreak of dermopathy. Once the dermopathy manifested itself, the users would stop drinking kava, and over the next several days, their skin would peel away to reveal fresh, new, beautifully smooth skin underneath.

It was essentially an exfoliation procedure!

 

[Alia]

Kava Skin - A sign of privilege ?

Today’s fact of the day is short, but it has quite the implication. According to research in Fiji, people that have experienced some form of skin issue from kava see the condition as a sign of privilege. Treatment for this condition is generally not sought [1]. Skin side effects, or “kani kani” are viewed as positive indicators that you have the access and/or money to regularly consume kava. This may also be true for other island nations, as even songs have been written, boasting about the condition [2]. It is interesting in that some of the “negative” side effects we often see espoused by officials are actually seen as positive by the people who consume kava.




[1] White, C. Michael. 2018. “The Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, and Adverse Events Associated With Kava.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 58 (11): 1396–1405. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.1263.

[2] Nawarake. (2015, October 18). Nawarake ft Metoxide - Kava Skin [Video]. Youtube.

Yes, unfortunate but true, "Captain Cook noted that 'though these islanders have this liquor [sic] always fresh prepared...I have seen them drink it seven times before noon" (Hawaiian 'Awa, Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure). These were not the working class farmers, fisher-folks they were most often ali'i.

 

[JohnMichael]

Too funny! Dancing with that snake around his neck, celebrating our beloved, reptilian kava-skin!

 

[Jacob Bula]

This post made me feel better, as my face is currently stinging and peeling.

 

[Edward]

This post made me feel better, as my face is currently stinging and peeling.

Have you tried coconut oil capsules? They work pretty well for me. When I start feeling dry I take 2 in the morning. After a few days I can feel my skin getting softer. If I'm on the kava a bit more than usual and I'm getting drier then I'll take 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon or more. Usually it gets things running smoothly again. Kava really pushes not only moisture but also oils out of the skin so the coconut oil and water consumption really make a difference. Funnily enough I've tried putting coconut oil directly onto the affected areas and it doesn't work as well as ingestion.

 

[kasa_balavu]

Have you tried coconut oil capsules? They work pretty well for me. When I start feeling dry I take 2 in the morning. After a few days I can feel my skin getting softer. If I'm on the kava a bit more than usual and I'm getting drier then I'll take 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon or more. Usually it gets things running smoothly again. Kava really pushes not only moisture but also oils out of the skin so the coconut oil and water consumption really make a difference. Funnily enough I've tried putting coconut oil directly onto the affected areas and it doesn't work as well as ingestion.

Have you tried substituting whatever vegetable oil you use for cooking with coconut oil?

 

[Edward]

Have you tried substituting whatever vegetable oil you use for cooking with coconut oil?

I use a lot of olive oil and I don't think coconut oil would go well in a lot of the things I cook. Do you use coconut oil in cooking?

 

[kasa_balavu]

According to research in Fiji, people that have experienced some form of skin issue from kava see the condition as a sign of privilege.

This quote from the paper is quite misleading. I'm sure you can find people who feel that way these days, but IMHO this is a very fringe viewpoint.
These days the opposite is more often true.
Kanikani is a sign of overindulgence. Frequent and sustained overindulgence leads to lethargy and laziness. Keep in mind that in Fiji you have to stay up late to overindulge because we drink our kava diluted. People drinking kava until the early hours of the morning won't wake up early to tend the gardens, or they'll be nodding off in their office chairs. It follows therefore that there's a high correlation with lethargic, lazy people, and kanikani. This has resulted in a bit of a stigma around kanikani, and people go to great lengths to try and hide it.

 

[kasa_balavu]

I use a lot of olive oil and I don't think coconut oil would go well in a lot of the things I cook. Do you use coconut oil in cooking?

Not as much as I'd like because my wife isn't a fan of the flavour. You're right in that it doesn't go well in a lot of things because unlike most cooking oils, it has a strong flavour of its own that can overwhelm other ingredients.

 

[Edward]

Not as much as I'd like because my wife isn't a fan of the flavour. You're right in that it doesn't go well in a lot of things because unlike most cooking oils, it has a strong flavour of its own that can overwhelm other ingredients.

What's in the grog and kani lotion?

I would imagine fish or maybe even pork and vegetables might taste ok in coconut oil? I love Thai food but don't cook a lot of it myself. Plenty of coconut milk in that but not necessarily oil?

 

[kasa_balavu]

What's in the grog and kani lotion?

I've never actually looked. It's just a cheap bog-standard moisturizer with very niche branding.

I would imagine fish or maybe even pork and vegetables might taste ok in coconut oil? I love Thai food but don't cook a lot of it myself. Plenty of coconut milk in that but not necessarily oil?

There's a looooot of lolo (coconut milk) in Fijian cooking. A dish might take 2-4 coconuts (a coconut containing ~1 tbsp of oil).
Oddly enough, coconut oil is rarely directly used in cooking. It's mainly used as a skin moisturizer.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

This quote from the paper is quite misleading. I'm sure you can find people who feel that way these days, but IMHO this is a very fringe viewpoint.
These days the opposite is more often true.
Kanikani is a sign of overindulgence. Frequent and sustained overindulgence leads to lethargy and laziness. Keep in mind that in Fiji you have to stay up late to overindulge because we drink our kava diluted. People drinking kava until the early hours of the morning won't wake up early to tend the gardens, or they'll be nodding off in their office chairs. It follows therefore that there's a high correlation with lethargic, lazy people, and kanikani. This has resulted in a bit of a stigma around kanikani, and people go to great lengths to try and hide it.

Excellent point. I think it's interesting that many people tend to think about Tongan kava drinkers or Fijian kava drinkers as "weak kava drinkers" because of how diluted it is. However, when I looked at some of the data in Jimmy's series, it looks to me like the overall kavalactone intake is likely far greater among Fijian or Tongan drinkers than among the ni-Vanuatu despite the latter drinking VASTYLY stronger shells.

 

[Jacob Bula]

I

Have you tried coconut oil capsules? They work pretty well for me. When I start feeling dry I take 2 in the morning. After a few days I can feel my skin getting softer. If I'm on the kava a bit more than usual and I'm getting drier then I'll take 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon or more. Usually it gets things running smoothly again. Kava really pushes not only moisture but also oils out of the skin so the coconut oil and water consumption really make a difference. Funnily enough I've tried putting coconut oil directly onto the affected areas and it doesn't work as well as ingestion.

I've bought some at your suggestion in the past, my wife dropped the glass bottle they were in before I got to use them. . I put the topical coconut oil on today with vitamin e , it seemed to help. I went too hard for 2 weeks straight, around 8-12 tablespoons daily. It's my fault

 

[Alia]

This quote from the paper is quite misleading. I'm sure you can find people who feel that way these days, but IMHO this is a very fringe viewpoint.
These days the opposite is more often true.
Kanikani is a sign of overindulgence. Frequent and sustained overindulgence leads to lethargy and laziness. Keep in mind that in Fiji you have to stay up late to overindulge because we drink our kava diluted. People drinking kava until the early hours of the morning won't wake up early to tend the gardens, or they'll be nodding off in their office chairs. It follows therefore that there's a high correlation with lethargic, lazy people, and kanikani. This has resulted in a bit of a stigma around kanikani, and people go to great lengths to try and hide it.

Thanks for that update. I should have added (in my comment) that (In Hawai'i, at least)... the flaking skin as a sign of privilege was hundreds of years ago.
It was also a "skin-rejuvenator".