Kava-Kava is an herbal beverage widely consumed on many of the South Pacific islands. It has definite tranquilizing effects, and has become part of social rituals there. It has also been used for conflict resolution - when a disagreement boils up, the parties get together, drink Kava, and try to set things right. Kava is definitely an empathogen - but is it an aphrodisiac?

Much of kava's activity seems to come from kavalactones - compounds that relax muscles, dissolve anxiety, and relieve pain. These compounds seem to work in a way that is very different from any other common pharmaceutical or herbal drugs.

One herbalist compares the action of kava to 'cleaning the dust and grime' off of glasses - all of the sudden, every thing becomes clearer. Others have described it as truth serum - when people take kava with an expectation of intimacy, they can better open up to each other. In a hostile setting, kava would probably lose its truth serum like effects - adrenaline and other chemicals would probably over ride the beneficial effects. At higher doses of kava, people tend to become more withdrawn and introspective, and the muscle relaxing properties of kava interfere with sexual performance.

I have used kava before for anxiety, and generally like the way it makes me feel. Not only looser and more relaxed, but more melodic. Kava frees up part of my brain associated with music, and I can lay in bed and mentally replay music in a way that my normal/uptight brain could never do. Note by note, with intensity of emotion.

I seem to experience an increase in heart palpitations at higher doses, or maybe I am more aware of my anxiety induced palpitations. When I slowly sip kava, this is not a problem.

Kava strains can vary in their effects - some are more likely to cause sleep or drowsiness, other are described as more stimulating. On one occassion, I drank a rather strong kava drink at a hip cafe, and my wife drove me home. I started to feel the effects on the ride back, and parked myself in a recliner. Couldn't make myself get up, and later fell asleep for the night in the chair. Glad she covered me with a blanket.

It is a bad idea to mix kava with alcohol, other sedatives, or anthistamines. And it is not understood what other prescription drugs might be intensified by kava. Kava could possibly interact with calcium-channel blockers (for blood pressure control), anti-depressants, and other medicines. Driving or operating heavy machinery? Another very bad idea if you are taking kava.

There is a controversy on the safety of kava with respect to the liver. There were a string of cases in Europe linking kava consumption with liver problems, some of which were fatal. A study at the University of Hawaii suggested that the kava products in question may have been made from the stems of the kava plant, not just the root as is done in Polynesia. The stems of the plant are known to contain toxic molecules not found in the root, and these can reproduce symptoms of liver damage in tests.

Other research has suggested that using solvents like methanol or ethanol to extract the herb results in a product that is different from the water based kava beverages that are consumed in Polynesia. The solvents appear to concentrate some chemicals that ordinarily are not present in kava tea, and leaves behind beneficial chemicals (like glutathione, a liver protectant).

Kava root is known to cause mild elevation in some liver enzymes, but this typically is benign and returns to normal quickly when the body is kava free. If you are thinking about kava, read up on the possible effects and make an informed decision. I personally think that kava is on par with acetaminophen (the analgesic in Tylenol and other OTC remedies) - Acetominophen is a real cause of liver problems, but people still take it.

One place to start your research is the Kava article at Wikipedia. Last time I was there, they had a reasonable discussion.

So is kava an aphrodisiac? In the traditional sense, probably not. It increases intimacy, but doesn't make one hornier. But if your idea of love includes intimacy, then you might consider kava an aphrodisiac. I do.

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