To swill or not to swill... that is the question.

[Edward]

I've read a lot about people swilling the kava around their mouths before swallowing to get the feeling going and possibly to give more head effect? I've also read a lot about chugging to get the stuff down as quickly as possible without tasting it... Now I've tried both but I would be interested in opinions about whether it makes a lot of difference?

I like swilling because you get that immediate numbness in the mouth, I don't mind the taste and for me I think it makes it slightly easier to drink, you can take a mouthful, swill and swallow bit by bit.

I like the chugging because it does appear to have a slightly more pronounced effect for me although I have been mixing stronger recently.

The times I have chugged I noticed once that it didn't have an effect on my stomach and I felt the same as when I was swilling and once that I had more pronounced numbness of the stomach (I still wouldn't really call it nausea, try some of my hangovers when I go for it and you'd know about nausea). The numbness of the stomach on the second occasion made it difficult to eat food or even just to drink water for a bit. I didn't feel ill, just that my stomach had had enough for a bit.

All of this may change as I try different kavas but coming back to the main question... swill or chug?

 

[Kimmer]

I chug and I like it icy cold. Maybe like isn't the word--I taste it less when it's icy cold.

 

[tomkrat]

I swish it around, drink it warm, and sip it slow. I prefer the effects of this method to the effects I get from chugging

 

[kavadude]

I don't think there's going to be much effect. Chewing on a fresh piece of kava root will definitely give you a noticable buzz and numbness, but otherwise prepared kava is quite dilute and there's not much contact with the mucous membranes on the bottom of the mouth that are responsible for this sort of thing.

If you like it though, go for it. Won't hurt anything.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

I think this could definitley be a phenomenon, for one the numbness is a topical anesthetic, so if you use it up on your mouth it will not hit the stomach as much... also there could be a similar absorption through the mouth regardless of dilution if your gonna swish around each and every sip it doesn't matter. It will gradually absorb with each swish. Let us know further if you seem to notice a huge difference

 

[Edward]

I think this could definitley be a phenomenon, for one the numbness is a topical anesthetic, so if you use it up on your mouth it will not hit the stomach as much...

I was wondering about this myself.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

It's definitley a factor lol. There's no reason for this otherwise. Even coca will do that to your tummy because if the topical numbing.

 

[Edward]

Yes but I wonder how much of the stomach effect is taken away by the swilling? I definitely noticed a more numb stomach the second time I chugged. I had trouble eating or drinking for a good while after. Something I didn't get when I was swilling even with the stronger batch I'd mixed.

I'm going home for some instant green soon anyway, what to do with that?! Decisions, decisions and what a lovely dilemma to have!

 

[nathaniel.adkisson]

That is a lovely dilemma to have. I'm over worrying about how I'm going to hide/explain the 165$ kava order to my wife tomorrow when I make it before she can tell me no. Lol

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[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Hahaha! Tell her it's an investment in your future happiness

 

[nathaniel.adkisson]

Hahaha! Tell her it's an investment in your future happiness

That's good I'm going to keep that in the back pocket!

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