KAVA PLANT
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Are you familiar with the Kava Plant? Did you know that this popular plant or shrub is at the root (pardon the pun!) of all of the popular Kava related products that are increasingly available on the market? To get you up to speed on Kava, HTH suggests that you take a quick look at our Ultimate Guide to Kava Kava. Once you’ve visited the article and have more fully developed your knowledge, you might be intrigued to learn more about the Kava Plant – and this HTH article is just the right place for you to do so! Ready to get started?
Things to Consider Before Using Kava
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The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated this HerbalTeaHour.com article. Readers should be advised that Kava Kava is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. We would ask that you please consult a health or medical professional prior to taking any form of Kava. This step is particularly important if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, nursing or taking prescription medications. Certain medications can be inhibited by Kava, check with your doctor. Kava should never be taken with alcohol. Kava should not be consumed by persons under 18 years of age. Please, use Kava with caution and be sure to speak with your doctor!
KAVA PLANT: GUIDE
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We hear more and more about “Kava” every day. So, what is Kava? When people are referring to Kava, they are likely referring to the small plant or shrub pictured above. This HTH article includes all of the important details about the Kava plant. We begin with a short explanation about the history of Kava, its origins and its use by native Pacific peoples.
After that, we write about the Kava Plant and its three main components (the Leaves, Stem and Roots). Next, we write a little bit about the different ways that people purchase the derivatives of Kava (whether Powder, Pills or Pre-made Teas). We’ve also included a link to one of our favorite kinds of Kava tea so you can visit the product page to learn more or purchase the Kava tea to try it out for yourself. Finally, we’ve included a short write up detailing our own experience with the Kava Plant, including one of our favorite ways to consume it! Ready to get started?
What is a Kava Plant?
A Kava plant is a type of small plant or shrub that has traditionally been found in the Pacific Islands. Most point to the origins of this plant as being the islands of Hawaii or Fiji. We know that the native peoples of these two islands (and many hundreds of the surrounding islands) have long looked to the kava plant for numerous reasons. Some of these reasons include the use of the derivatives of the Kava plant in cultural or social undertakings or events. Other uses include the desire to avail oneself to alleged medicinal benefits afforded by this awesome plant.
Each plant contains various “constituents”. A “constituent” is another word for component or building block. It is merely a fancy way of saying what all is “behind the scenes” in a Kava plant!
Many have suggested that the “psychoactive” components of the Kava plant are the “kavapyrones” and “kavalactones”. These, of course, are naturally occurring in the plant itself. When measured, a greater number of these elements are found in the roots and stems (rather than the leaves of the kava plant). Many of those who consume Kava do so for the alleged and desired psychoactive properties of these constituents.
Eastern medicine has long referred to Kava as a type of “herbal sedative”. Kava has become increasingly popular in recent years in various western cultures as more and more patients are seemingly turning away from the synthetic medicined and treatments offered by “modern” practices, instead electing to pursue these (and other) traditionally eastern remedies. Many claim that Kava consumption is linked to a beneficial impact upon anxiety, depression, stress and a host of other conditions.
How do People Use the Kava Plant?
Kava Pills
Kava has three main parts: Roots, Stem, Leaves. In that sense, a Kava plant is just like many other plants. The stem and the roots of the kava plant, however, are often times ground down into a very, very fine powder (the consistently of flour) for use in Kava Pills. It is our experience that most people participating in the creation of Kava Root Powder for use in Kava pills create the powder by using a pestle and a bowl (like an old time pharmacist). Some HTH readers have reported successful Kava powder creation by use of a tool known as a “mill grinder”.
Our Favorite Kava Root Powder for Kava Pills
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If grinding the roots and stems of the kava plant sounds like too much work for you, you are in luck. There are a number of kinds of powder from the roots and stems of the kava plant on the market. We’ve included a link to one of our favorite kinds below:
Many believers in the Kava plant also like to experiment with the creation and consumption of Kava tea. This is one of our favorite ways to avail ourselves to this plant, probably because it is the easiest and, of course, because we are enthusiasts of herbal tea!
Exposing yourself to the kava plant in the form of pre-packaged Kava tea is becoming increasingly popular. After all, sometimes it is kind of nice to have someone else “do the work” for you – then all you have to do is drink up! One of our favorite kinds of Kava tea is linked to below:
Our Favorite Derivative of the Kava Plant: Kava Tea
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Yogi Kava Tea comes with 96 total tea bags, and its ingredients include cinnamon, Indian Sarsaparilla Root and Carob Pod (which is organic and Non-GMO Project Verified). The tea produces from the Kava plant is free from caffeine, perfect for our vegans, and is Gluten free! No artificial sweeteners or flavors in this Kava tea – just like the plant intended! Lastly, the tea bags themselves are compostable – a very important criteria for HTH, especially since there are 96 of them, and we suspect you’ll be ordering more than one box!
Kava Plant: My Experience
My first experience with the Kava plant came in the form of the consumption of Kava tea. For many years, I had great difficulty turning my mind “off” to go to bed – even when really, really tired! One clerk at my local health food store heard me discuss this problem and saw that I was searching for an herbal remedy. It helped that she knew that I was an herbal tea enthusiast, and she decided to suggest that I give Kava tea a try. After all, she knew of the various alleged benefits of the plant, and knew that many had reported success using the plant (through Kava tea) to aide in relaxation! She told me to start with one kava tea bag and increase to a second kava tea bag, if needed.
The results were immediate. I decided to use two Kava tea bags about 30 minutes before bed time. The results were fantastic, and not just because of the soothing nature of a warm beverage before bed! The kava plant can be enjoyed in any number of different forms (like the pills and powders we discussed above) but I have found that consuming the plant via kava tea is one of my very favorite methods of consumption!
KAVA PLANT: CONCLUSION
I hope this article about the Kava plant has been helpful to you. I’ll be the first to admit that I am certainly not a botanist, but the plant has always been very intriguing to me. It seems that the more the plant is studied, and the more that its derivates and potential uses are explored, the more alleged benefits there are associated with it. If you’ve read this article and find that you still have questions about this plant, we’d ask that you please comment in the Comments section below. I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that if you have a particular question – you are not alone! We’d love to discuss the this exciting plant with you!
Kava Plant: Comments
Had you ever heard of the Kava plant before reading this article? If so, where did you learn of it from? Did you associate anything in particular with the Kava plant before reading this article? Did you know that so many different products and consumables could be made from the Kava plant? What is your favorite way to consume the Kava plant? We love to hear from our readers! Please share your questions, experiences, expertise, and anything else you’d like with this herbal tea community. We read and reply to all posts!
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