Today’s fact of the day is a short one, and addresses the average amount of kavalactones found in a standard shell of kava.
U.S. Kava bars routinely use around 100-130 grams of powdered kava per gallon of water which gives a kava concentration of ~3% (Personal communication with kava bar owners). Individuals preparing kava at home can see concentrations from 1%-10% depending on their strength preference (Personal observation). It is generally thought that concentrations higher than 10% may exceed water’s ability to suspend kava particles, but this is not confirmed. Kavalactone contents of beverages rely on many factors such as the plant’s age, growing condition, which part was used for the beverage (roots/corm/lower stem), and which variety of kava it is (Ooi, Henderson, and Pak 2018).
In one of yesterday’s sources regarding kava and GGT activity, the authors obtained aqueous (traditionally made) samples of kava from 2 kava drinking circles and one kava bar. The authors in this study analyzed these samples for kavalactone content and found the average “cup” or “shell” was 250ml of liquid and contained 148mg to 208mg of kavalactones on average (Brown et al. 2007).
Brown, Amy C., Janet Onopa, Peter Holck, Pakieli Kaufusi, Derek Kabasawa, Winston J. Craig, Klaus Dragull, Arieh M. Levine, and Jonathan D. Baker. 2007. “Traditional Kava Beverage Consumption and Liver Function Tests in a Predominantly Tongan Population in Hawaii.” Clinical Toxicology 45 (5): 549–56.
Ooi, Soo Liang, Penny Henderson, and Sok Cheon Pak. 2018. “Kava for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Review of Current Evidence.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 24 (8): 770–80.
U.S. Kava bars routinely use around 100-130 grams of powdered kava per gallon of water which gives a kava concentration of ~3% (Personal communication with kava bar owners). Individuals preparing kava at home can see concentrations from 1%-10% depending on their strength preference (Personal observation). It is generally thought that concentrations higher than 10% may exceed water’s ability to suspend kava particles, but this is not confirmed. Kavalactone contents of beverages rely on many factors such as the plant’s age, growing condition, which part was used for the beverage (roots/corm/lower stem), and which variety of kava it is (Ooi, Henderson, and Pak 2018).
In one of yesterday’s sources regarding kava and GGT activity, the authors obtained aqueous (traditionally made) samples of kava from 2 kava drinking circles and one kava bar. The authors in this study analyzed these samples for kavalactone content and found the average “cup” or “shell” was 250ml of liquid and contained 148mg to 208mg of kavalactones on average (Brown et al. 2007).
Brown, Amy C., Janet Onopa, Peter Holck, Pakieli Kaufusi, Derek Kabasawa, Winston J. Craig, Klaus Dragull, Arieh M. Levine, and Jonathan D. Baker. 2007. “Traditional Kava Beverage Consumption and Liver Function Tests in a Predominantly Tongan Population in Hawaii.” Clinical Toxicology 45 (5): 549–56.
Ooi, Soo Liang, Penny Henderson, and Sok Cheon Pak. 2018. “Kava for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Review of Current Evidence.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 24 (8): 770–80.
