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Kava Science Kava Safety Citations

Szafirek

Kava Curious
I created this thread to collect citations about kava safety from scientific sources and important institutions:

„Clinical trials of kava have not revealed any hepatotoxicity.”
„Most experimental studies have not shown that kava has a tendency to have a toxic effect on the liver.”
„Most clinical reviews of case reports cast doubt on a causal association between kava products and liver problems. The cases have come to regulatory authorities as spontaneous reports. There have been no epidemiological studies and the incidence is not known.”

„The occurrence of liver toxicity due to kava products seems to be extremely rare. Its manifestation is suggested to be in relationship with a lack of compliance to recommended dose/overdosing or with a co-ingestion of herbal supplements or other substances or as a consequence of non-standardization of the kava products. Furthermore, the ban imposed in Germany on the herbal supplement kava was overturned in 2014, after the decisions of two administrative German Courts.”

„Since 450 millions of daily doses of kava extracts equating to 15 millions of monthly
doses were sold in Germany and Switzerland, hepatotoxicity by kava appeared to be
rare—similar to other herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and synthetic drugs. „
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
Tavana, Gaugau, Patricia Stewart, Diane Ragone, Krisa Fredrickson, Paul Cox, and Joan Borel. 2003. “Lack of Evidence of Kava-Related Hepatotoxicity in Native Populations in Savaii, Samoa.” The Journal of the American Botanical Council 2003 (59): 28–32. https://www.herbalgram.org/media/12000/issue59.pdf.

Espritu, Frederic James V., Carlos Miguel T. Abilay, and Mr Jason Alcarez. 2012. “Effects of Kava Root Extract on the Liver Morphology of c57bl-6 Mus Musculus Mice.” APEC Youth Scientist Journal 4: 137–44. http://www.amgs.or.kr/New/common/journal/vol4_no.13.PDF.

Petersen, Greg E., Yijin Tang, and Christine Fields. 2019. “Chemical and in Vitro Toxicity Analysis of a Supercritical Fluid Extract of Kava Kava (Piper Methysticum).” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 235 (May): 301–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.01.032.

Chou, Tsui-Wei, Jia-Hua Feng, Chi-Chang Huang, Ya-Wen Cheng, Shih-Chang Chien, Sheng-Yang Wang, and Lie-Fen Shyur. 2013. “A Plant Kavalactone Desmethoxyyangonin Prevents Inflammation and Fulminant Hepatitis in Mice.” PloS One 8 (10): e77626. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077626.

Sorrentino, L., A. Capasso, and M. Schmidt. 2006. “Safety of Ethanolic Kava Extract: Results of a Study of Chronic Toxicity in Rats.” Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology 13 (8): 542–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2006.01.006.

DiSilvestro, Robert A., Wenyi Zhang, and David J. DiSilvestro. 2007. “Kava Feeding in Rats Does Not Cause Liver Injury nor Enhance Galactosamine-Induced Hepatitis.” Food and Chemical Toxicology: An International Journal Published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association 45 (7): 1293–1300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.01.015.

Chanwai, L. Giles. 2000. “Kava Toxicity.” Emergency Medicine Australasia: EMA 12 (2): 142–45. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1442-2026.2000.00107.x.

Pinner, Keanu D., Christina T. K. Wales, Rachel A. Gristock, Hoa T. Vo, Nadine So, and Aaron T. Jacobs. 2016. “Flavokawains A and B from Kava (Piper Methysticum) Activate Heat Shock and Antioxidant Responses and Protect against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Death in HepG2 Hepatocytes.” Pharmaceutical Biology 54 (9): 1503–12. https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209.2015.1107104.

Teschke, R., J. Fuchs, R. Bahre, A. Genthner, and A. Wolff. 2010. “Kava Hepatotoxicity: Comparative Study of Two Structured Quantitative Methods for Causality Assessment.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics 35 (5): 545–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01131.x.

Singh, Yadhu N., and Ashwini K. Devkota. 2003. “Aqueous Kava Extracts Do Not Affect Liver Function Tests in Rats.” Planta Medica 69 (6): 496–99. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2003-40658.
 
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