How long AFTER kava before eating?

[kl.homobonobo]

So I know an empty stomach BEFORE drinking kava is crucial to absorb the kavalactones, but how long AFTER drinking kava to you guys usually wait before eating? I want to make sure I've pretty much absorbed all that I'm going to before I start putting food in my stomach. I usually wait just an hour or so before eating because I'm always starving from maintaining the empty stomach, haha. But it seems like as soon as I get food in my stomach, the effects start to wear off.

How long to you wait to be sure you've gotten all the good stuff in your system?

 

[kl.Gray Owl]

The upper limit for "normal" gastric emptying is about 2 hours so that's about the maximum that it could be. Since kava is liquid with very little solids in it, it probably takes less than 2 hours, possibly depending on how much you drink and whether the kava itself slows gastric emptying. If you have pills that need to be taken on an empty stomach, they recommend waiting 2 hours after meals, so that seems consistent. In terms of absorption I would bet that 1 hour is probably more than sufficient. But I wonder if 1/2 hour would be sufficient.

 

[kl..]

I don't usually feel hungry after kava (maybe because I make it with 2% milk). I don't know if that would help you, or if it's even a particularly healthy practice, but I'm interested in other people's answers.

 

[kl.homobonobo]

Yeah lately I've been adding a little bit of milk to it right before I drink it. It improves the taste and settles my stomach a bit. Me gusta.

 

[Prince Philip]

45 minutes is the most I see on any of the supplements I'm taking to keep me alive, and now that I'm in my 90's, I take a lot of supplements. In fact, some of the powers I mix with kava.

 

[Slow Native]

The "high" I get from kava alone is very similar to what some call a "food high" without the heaviness .. IE when I eat a large dish of spicy Asian noodles I become slightly more lethargic and light headed.
When drinking a couple shells of kava and then eating a warm small meal seems to bring on a very intense "food high" sensation with relatively little food consumed.. Hmm

 

[kl.Kavalactoner]

I tend to hold off on the food as much as long as possible. However I've come to realize it is absolutely inevitable that I eventually cave in and eat... Usually about an hour and a half after drinking my kava.

 

[kavalover]

I tend to hold off on the food as much as long as possible. However I've come to realize it is absolutely inevitable that I eventually cave in and eat... Usually about an hour and a half after drinking my kava.

How much do you end up eating? For me, light snacks are fine while and after drinking kava. It tends to even increase the buzz a bit. However heavier foods totally kill the buzz for me.

 

[kl.grudge]

For me kava is a pretty good appetite suppressant, I have a tendency not to eat much when drinking kava. Usually I will start on an empty stomach and then have a snack a shell or two later, if I feel like it. I have found eating some food like pizza may actually enhance the effect, especially around the 2 or 3rd shell.

 

[Slow Native]

Wonder if fatty foods aide in the uptake of the lactones?

 

[kl.grudge]

Wonder if fatty foods aide in the uptake of the lactones?

I suspect in moderation, it does.  It is probably better to go for a slice of the Canadian bacon and black olive (my favorite) than the whole pie.  Of course pizza, for me, should probably be considered a drug just by itself (smiley: wink)

 

[Buddhacide]

I'm with kava lover. I like fresh fruit to snack on during or shortly after, and usually have a light meal about an hour after.



Keep in mind that kavalactones are fat soluable. There needs to be some fat in your stomach for them to be properly metabolized, but not so much as the lactones cant get be absorbed quickly. Its a delicate dance.



I personally have a light lunch around 1:00 and do kava around 6:00. Then I eat a light meal around 7:00 which I find really brings it out.

 

[Ed!]

I need to push myself to eat after kava. I really don't feel like it. I've lost a lot of weight since I started with it.



I used to get really great head-buzz when I did eat after though. I would think the kava was wearing off, would grab a bit to eat and woah, I'm swimming. I haven't had that in a while. Not sure what's different.

 

[kl.Cody]

Slow Native, I've noticed that eating a meal high in fats seems to bring on the "heavy" feeling more, but only with body high kavas. It kills the Fu'u for me.