Do you test for aflatoxins?

[Psilopsyche]

I love BKH kava but I want to make sure the kava I drink is safe. Anyone know if they test there product for aflatoxins and flavokawain B? If not is there something I can get personally to test for these things?

 

[Akava]

all kavalactones even kavain are hepatotoxic not just flavokawain B

it just comes down to whether to nor it gets cleared by the liver

 

[The Kap'n]

Where did you get that information?

 

[Akava]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681144/

"kavain-treated rat livers (n = 4) displayed severe vascular and endothelial damage"
"kavain induces adverse effects on liver"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13679089
"reaction between glutathione and kava lactones, resulting in opening of the lactone ring, reduces the side effects of the kava kava extracts"

 

[infraredz]

Well, I don't have time to read the whole of both studies but from a very cursory look, it seems that the second article concludes that kava in an aqueous solution is safe (as aqueous solutions contain glutathione). Based on the abstract alone, I would interpret it to conclude kava actually has cytoprotective properties. The 40% cell death with glutathione w/ lactones only indicates that glutathione decreases cell death by 60% compared to lactones w/o glutathione. The test didn't even appear to be in vitro as it didn't seem to even use mammalian cells BTW.

The first study has some methodological flaws in it, IMO if they are trying to translate the safety of kava as we know it. I'll have to dig deeper into that one when I don't have exams to study for, but I wouldn't make anything out of it. The rhetoric is strong, but don't let that scare you out of the facts. You would think that a more applicable study would say "rats treated with kavain via parenteral administration" or something along those lines. Without looking through the whole thing, it sounds like they treated the livers in a way that would never happen during normal human physiological functioning.

EDIT: It actually seems that the first study actually invalidates the 2nd study (in terms of normal kava consumption in humans).

 

[infraredz]

Also, per Andrew and Lebot, noble kavas don't have any significant quantities of FKB so you don't have to worry about that.

What would be helpful is data about the FDA tests (what do they test for, what are the GRAS limits, etc).

 

[Psilopsyche]

What about aflatoxin though? I know that grows on kava root sometimes. I wonder if they test for it.

 

[kavadude]

A thorough investigation of BKH kava revealed no aflactoxins, drink up

 

[Piper Methysticum]