Kava Physiology Kava carbohydrates & calories

[kavadude]

Since this comes up occasionally I thought it would be good to put it in the kavapedia. People want to know whether kava root contains calories for their diets or whatever.

According to Lebot and Cabalion 1986, dried kava root is approximately 43% starch 20% fiber 15% kavalactones 12% water 3.2% sugar 3.6% protein and 3.2% minerals.

With some back of the napkin math, let's assume you are consuming 8 tablespoons of kava which, at 7 grams a tablespoon, would be 56 grams total. If 50% of that is starch, sugar, or protein, you would be consuming (56 / 2) * 4 = 112 calories, 4 being the amount of calories in a gram of carbohydrates and protein, and less than 28 grams of carbohydrates.

Now, unless you are toss and washing or boiling the kava during preparation, it's safe to say that very very little of that makes it into strained kava. Starch, which is where most of the calories come from, is not readily water soluble.

So, in the amounts that we consume, kava has very few calories, and strained kava probably has close to none. Drink up!

Infraredz butting in here- Just so everyone knows, "Saccharose" is an obsolete term for sugars in general but especially (and commonly) sucrose which is what we know as sugar.

 

[TidyMinion]

That fiber though.... Wooweee

 

[HeadHodge]

This is vital info for my low carb diet. Thanks!!! I wish there was more study on the nutrients of Kava, not just the chemical composition.

 

[kavadude]

Tell me about it man. I drank like, 100g of micronized over the last few days, and I am paying for it right now. Here lies kavadude, killed by a fart, may he rest in peace.

 

[HeadHodge]

Tell me about it man. I drank like, 100g of micronized over the last few days, and I am paying for it right now. Here lies kavadude, killed by a fart, may he rest in peace.

THATS ME!!!!

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

maybe this image could be useful somewhere:

 

[kavadude]

Oh nice, I edited it into the original post.

 

[Roaddog]

@HeadHodge you just fishing for likes, on that last post. too funny. Much love. Roaddog....

 

[infraredz]

maybe this image could be useful somewhere:

Just so everyone knows, "Saccharose" is an obsolete term for sugars in general but especially (and commonly) sucrose which is what we know as sugar.

 

[HeadHodge]

@HeadHodge you just fishing for likes, on that last post. too funny. Much love. Roaddog....

Well it's definitely one of the following @roaddog:

OR

 

[HeadHodge]

Gotcha @Roaddog

 

[Roaddog]

Ya nice work there @HeadHodge , aren't you quit the up loader. I think I just figured out how your doing that let give it a try. Here's a oldie but a favorite. Much love. Roaddog....

 

[HeadHodge]

Ha that is pretty good dog. But I'm not going to "Like it" (even though I do) just to concede to your evil scheme. But you said in your post "Ya nice work there", so I think you should at least like that one.