Do kids drink this?

[rcvjohn]

Hey all...

I've been touting the benefits of kava to a friend, and she has a seriously hyperactive daughter with some anger issues. She was wondering if it's ever common for kids to drink kava. Is that something that some cultures do? Seems like it might be too much for them.

 

[ApéroNoble]

I'd make 100% sure you've no tudie laced in the kava. If I were to give it to my little niece the only kava I'd consider would be GHK Nene & then only in very small doses; extremely low to begin with to asses tolerance

 

[ApéroNoble]

This 'Awa has an average chemotype of 463251 and a average kavalactone content of 10%. This 'Awa is tall and has green stalks with spots all over it. This variety was mentioned in Hawaiian history as being used for children but only as a medicine and not for pleasure.http://www.kavalibrary.com/Hawiian--Awa.html

 

[rcvjohn]

If you ask me, it's a bad idea...

 

[rcvjohn]

Right, I was a Ritalin kid. It genuinely helps me... a ton.
I manage a customer service center, and I'm finding myself getting WAY MORE DONE than I normally do... it's impressive really. Go kava!
But, it just doesn't really feel right to recommend it to a kid. But, I'd love to see her face when she tries it.
My daughters have all taken sips and IMMEDIATELY contorted.

 

[Deleted User01]

Nene was used by the Islanders for their sick children. Back then, it was very mild. My theory is that it helped them sleep since it helps me sleep. It is also the Noblest Kava on Harpos list so it is the safest. I would try a small dose of Nene Instant in orange juice and watch him carefully. I swear it can't be any worse than the drugs they now give hyperactive children. My only concern would be giving him Kava everyday. But maybe the residual effect of Kava would help him the next day. If I had a kid like that, I would do it. But I would have him right next to me the week we try it to make sure nothing bad happens.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

On the islands of the South Pacific kava was rarely (if ever?) given to little children. In fact, boys could only start drinking kava after some kind of ritual (different rituals on different islands) that would turn them (in the eyes of their community) into adults. However, I have also heard that the above applied to spiritual, cultural or recreational use of kava. I can imagine that anyone (including children and women) would be offered kava for medicinal purposes (in fact women could only drink it for medicinal purposes, at least in some parts of Vanuatu).

 

[verticity]

I think it would be hard to get any kid I know to overcome the taste to drink enough for any significant effect. And I am in general pretty conservative about giving any drug to a child--simply because not enough is known about the effect it would have on a developing brain.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

With the right doctor, the right 100% pure Noble kava and the right dose I am sure it will help even children but again only with a doctors help.
Kava does work and it does so differently for each person, children will probably be more sensitive to kava.
That being said I think children should stay away from kava, till they get older, unless they can meet those requirements I mentioned above. Certainly young children and infants should not take kava. So basically I guess only older children and under certain circumstances and under supervision of a doctor.
Aloha.

Chris

 

[Deleted User01]

On the islands of the South Pacific kava was rarely (if ever?) given to little children. In fact, boys could only start drinking kava after some kind of ritual (different rituals on different islands) that would turn them (in the eyes of their community) into adults. However, I have also heard that the above applied to spiritual, cultural or recreational use of kava. I can imagine that anyone (including children and women) would be offered kava for medicinal purposes (in fact women could only drink it for medicinal purposes, at least in some parts of Vanuatu).

I stand corrected. The Hawaiian Islanders were known to use Nene for this purpose. I don't even think they grow Nene in Vanuatu but that would be a another good research question.

 

[Deleted User01]

Here is more on Kava with children. This is a quote from the book, "Hawaiian 'Awa, Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure", page 9.
"Paraphrasing native accounts, Martha Beckwith (1970) provides readers with furthur documenation of practices and uses of 'awa in Hawaiian culture. Babies were given the juice of the nene variety as a soothing syrup. "This is a fretful (onene) child and must be given the awa", was the saying. "

FYI, the word Nene in Spanish is used to describe a baby and is also used to describe Jesus as a baby in a popular Christmas song. Did the Islanders propagate Nene just for the use of sick children? After all, they still had least 12 other varieties which they painstakingly propagated by taking the Somatic Mutations that pleased them.

So does fretful sound like a child who may be a tad hyperactive? Possibly. The Islanders in Hawaii did not have Ritalin so they made use of the mildest and most Noble kava and made a syrup for the "fretful" child. For reference, look at Deleted User's Charts to see Nene's ranking. Number 1. I'm not recommending Kava for children, but if I had a hyperactive child, I might do a guarded experiment rather than jump into a Ritalin. By the way, Ritalin is sold and traded in high schools for recreational use. I got this info straight from the horse's mouth, a teenager in high school.

 

[rcvjohn]

Thanks for all the replies folks.
So, last night I had 8 shells with a ten year old... jk.

I don't think we'll be trying this anytime soon.

 

[Deleted User01]

8 shells is a lot for an adult. I was thinking more of a teaspoon of instant in some orange juice. In fact, I have been wanting to experiment with that and see how little I can consume and still get a good night's sleep. Forget the psychoactive effects, what is the minimum dose for a good nights sleep? I think this will be new thread down the road.

One more thing, as kids, all my brothers and sister were hyperactive. We all used this 'feature' in our chosen professions and we are all successful in what we do. Let's not be quick to assume that "hyperactivity" is bad. We all have to be trained to cut out the temper tantrums and there are techniques to help children "get over it". People are quick to prescribe drugs because they don't want to "spend time" to deal with the problem. Just my 2 cents.