What's new

Kava strains with phenotypes starting with #3

VictoriousSpoon

Kava Curious
After reading this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9829291/

I am seeking a noble kava strain with a phenotype that starts with the number 3.I am seeking such, because according to the above reference, "Yangonin resulted in a decrease of dopamine levels to below the detection limit and desmethoxyyangonin in an increase of dopamine levels."

-i think yangonin would be great for sleep, as well as restoring my dopamine sensitivity; possibly a great Yin to the Yang of heady stimulating daytime kavas. I looked on the kava library site, but it lists no chemotypes starting with the number 3; does this even exist?

Many thanks to anyone that knows!
 
Last edited:

Mo'iety

Kava Enthusiast
I've never seen such a kava, in fact I'm not sure if I've seen 3 in the second position. You can find 3 in the third position, most often as 463 or 643 in heady cultivars. 3 is thought to contribute to headiness, though probably not through dopamine according to the research you found. Maybe it's just by relegating 2 down to the bottom positions. 3 does have cannabinoid receptor binding according to one study but I think the potency was pretty low, most likely too low for that mechanism to play a big role in effects.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
 

kavamehameha

Magnum's 'awa drinking bird
A 3 in second position is rare, but it exists. Root of Happiness' Samoan, Hawaiian and Fijian all have chemotype 436 or 432, check out e.g. the description text here https://rootofhappinesskava.com/products/premium-fijian-kava-powder-1-2lb-1 . I haven't tried it myself though, so I can't tell you how the effects are. But you can find some product reviews here in the forums.

However, I doubt there exists a variety with main kavalactone being yangonin. But maybe some of the kava experts here can join the discussion, I'm very curious!
 

krunkgod

Kava Enthusiast
A 3 in second position is rare, but it exists. Root of Happiness' Samoan, Hawaiian and Fijian all have chemotype 436 or 432, check out e.g. the description text here https://rootofhappinesskava.com/products/premium-fijian-kava-powder-1-2lb-1 . I haven't tried it myself though, so I can't tell you how the effects are. But you can find some product reviews here in the forums.

However, I doubt there exists a variety with main kavalactone being yangonin. But maybe some of the kava experts here can join the discussion, I'm very curious!
That fijian is a godawful IME. Its one of the only kavas that I haven't touched again since getting. Super weak and oddly stimmy feeling.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
After reading this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9829291/

I am seeking a noble kava strain with a phenotype that starts with the number 3.I am seeking such, because according to the above reference, "Yangonin resulted in a decrease of dopamine levels to below the detection limit and desmethoxyyangonin in an increase of dopamine levels."

-i think yangonin would be great for sleep, as well as restoring my dopamine sensitivity; possibly a great Yin to the Yang of heady stimulating daytime kavas. I looked on the kava library site, but it lists no chemotypes starting with the number 3; does this even exist?

Many thanks to anyone that knows!
Remember just because one kava has a 3 higher up on the list doesn't necessarily mean it has more yangonin in it. It just means it has more compared to the other kavalactones.
 

VictoriousSpoon

Kava Curious
Remember just because one kava has a 3 higher up on the list doesn't necessarily mean it has more yangonin in it. It just means it has more compared to the other kavalactones.
True, however the ratio is what matters most in determining effects-cos while we can control how much we consume, we have no control over the kavalactone ratios we consume in a specific cultivar (unless you have advanced chemistry skills & extensive laboratory equipment, neither of which I posses)
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
True, however the ratio is what matters most in determining effects-cos while we can control how much we consume, we have no control over the kavalactone ratios we consume in a specific cultivar (unless you have advanced chemistry skills & extensive laboratory equipment, neither of which I posses)
I think most people, even long term drinkers, would be hard pressed to be able to blind test a kava and give me an accurate chemotype (beyond maybe this has a lot of kavain or DHK/DHM) hence the reason we usually classify kavas as heady/ heavy/balanced. Which means the opposite is true. If I tell you the chemotype at best you could guess it was likely noble, and maybe heady or heavy. Slightly better if you know the total KL% but still not perfect. You would need to know each individual KL% to get even closer, and only some vendors provide a full HPLC testing. In my opinion buying kava based on chemotype is not usually productive to getting what you want, but good luck in your search.
 

VictoriousSpoon

Kava Curious
I think most people, even long term drinkers, would be hard pressed to be able to blind test a kava and give me an accurate chemotype (beyond maybe this has a lot of kavain or DHK/DHM) hence the reason we usually classify kavas as heady/ heavy/balanced. Which means the opposite is true. If I tell you the chemotype at best you could guess it was likely noble, and maybe heady or heavy. Slightly better if you know the total KL% but still not perfect. You would need to know each individual KL% to get even closer, and only some vendors provide a full HPLC testing. In my opinion buying kava based on chemotype is not usually productive to getting what you want, but good luck in your search.
After having tried my 6th cultivar to date- I am finding this to be true. I do think I would be better able to discern subtle differences if I cut back on frequency; I have not experienced a "reverse tolerance" yet, and find I am much more numb to the effects than I used to be weeks ago. If I drink more kava, all it does is give me a mental fog, but none of the euphoria or subtle differences I had noticed during my first months of of kava consumption when I only consumed 1-2 TBSP of instant kava per week over the course of months. I haven't gotten around to trying Root of Happiness's products yet, but they arrived in the mail earlier this week.
 

VictoriousSpoon

Kava Curious
Update: tried the RoH Fiji Kava- it's definitely a noticeable difference. With the previous cultivars, over time I acquired a tolerance and much more of a brain fog effect with less euphoria. The chemotype of this seems to be different enough to elicit a different response, trying the Solomon next- hopefully it gives me a dopamine blocking sedative effect. However with so many other dopamine-promoting kavalactones, I wonder if the effects of Yangonin are largely negated. We definitely have much to learn about the pharmacological effects of kava; we know bits and peices at this point in time.
 

VictoriousSpoon

Kava Curious
Update: The RoH solomon definitely makes me feel lethargic, but doesn't help me sleep. It's the least enjoyable kava I've tried for my personal physiology, while the RoH fijian has been one of the best (if not the best) I've tried to date for a heady cultivar.
 

krunkgod

Kava Enthusiast
Update: The RoH solomon definitely makes me feel lethargic, but doesn't help me sleep. It's the least enjoyable kava I've tried for my personal physiology, while the RoH fijian has been one of the best (if not the best) I've tried to date for a heady cultivar.
Crazy. For me it was the complete opposite, aside from the solomon being more sedative I agree on that. The fijian seemed quite weak compared to it. I found myself upwards of 6 tbsp in a session because it wasn't "clicking" for me. Then once I got a feeling off of it I found it too stimulating and edgy.

Solomon felt far more heady to me.
 

avahZ

YAHWEH Shalom
There was one back in 2015 or 16. Granted the first and second place was pretty much interchangeable and within the margin of error. I *think* it was a batch from Paradise Kava (rip). It’s been too long to be sure. I got a pound of it and tried it out. It was simular in effect to GHK‘s Moi, but a bit more euphoric. It’s like finding a unicorn.
 
Top