Kava Kava Herbarium

Piper methysticum | The Kava Kava plant is an ancient alternative of modern problems as it has been available in the wild for hundreds of years.¹ There is anthropological evidence that Kava Kava has been used for over 3000 years in the Pacific Islands for spiritual, medicinal and social purposes. Historically, the most important regions where Kava use was prominent were Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.² During the 19th century, researchers attributed the relaxing properties to a group of resinous compounds called kavalactones. Their explanations describe that these compounds, found in plant roots, have the ability to promote muscle relaxation without blocking the nerve signals that maintain their tone.

References:
1 - Singh YN. Kava - From Ethnology to Pharmacology. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Industrial profile. 2003.
2 - FETROW CW, AVILA JR. Manual de Medicina Alternativa para o profissional. Guanabara Koogan, 2000.