Kava Research Newest MAO Research on Kava.

[The Kap'n]

This one is awesome, kava lovers. They used real world kavalactone doses to study the ability of kava to inhibit the monoamine oxidase enzymes which metabolize neurotransmitters. They found substantial inhibition of MAO-B in a dose dependent manner. MAO-B metabolizes dopamine and a reduction in MAO-B will mean an increase in dopamine at the neuronal synapse.

Also it says the MAO activity is completely reversible which is why we don't see any interactions with foods.

Give it a look over. It's quite interesting.

Krum, Bárbara Nunes, Catiuscia Molz de Freitas, Alcindo Busanello, Larissa Finger Schaffer, and Roselei Fachinetto. 2021. “Ex Vivo and in Vitro Inhibitory Potential of Kava Extract on Monoamine Oxidase B Activity in Mice.” African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicines: AJTCAM / African Networks on Ethnomedicines, July. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.07.002.

Ex vivo and in vitro inhibitory potential of Kava extract on monoamine oxidase B activity in mice

This study investigated the effect of Kava extract (Piper methysticum), a medicinal plant that has been worldly used by its anxiolytic effects, on mon…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Alia]

This one is awesome, kava lovers. They used real world kavalactone doses to study the ability of kava to inhibit the monoamine oxidase enzymes which metabolize neurotransmitters. They found substantial inhibition of MAO-B in a dose dependent manner. MAO-B metabolizes dopamine and a reduction in MAO-B will mean an increase in dopamine at the neuronal synapse.

Also it says the MAO activity is completely reversible which is why we don't see any interactions with foods.

Give it a look over. It's quite interesting.

Krum, Bárbara Nunes, Catiuscia Molz de Freitas, Alcindo Busanello, Larissa Finger Schaffer, and Roselei Fachinetto. 2021. “Ex Vivo and in Vitro Inhibitory Potential of Kava Extract on Monoamine Oxidase B Activity in Mice.” African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicines: AJTCAM / African Networks on Ethnomedicines, July. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.07.002.

Ex vivo and in vitro inhibitory potential of Kava extract on monoamine oxidase B activity in mice

This study investigated the effect of Kava extract (Piper methysticum), a medicinal plant that has been worldly used by its anxiolytic effects, on mon…

www.sciencedirect.com

I think this is saying kava inhibits anxiety and still allows us to function well.??
"An anxiolytic (also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that inhibits anxiety."

 

[The Kap'n]

I think this is saying kava inhibits anxiety and still allows us to function well.??
"An anxiolytic (also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that inhibits anxiety."

From what it's telling me, it's looking like kava delays the metabolism of neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine by way of inhibiting MAO-B. With the dosages in this study I think it's becoming quite clear that kava has very real chemical antidepressant qualities.