How long do the effects of kava last?

When you're new to kava, there's a wealth of information to absorb: understanding its effects, mastering the preparation process, and even experiencing the unique tingling sensation on your tongue.

One of the key aspects to grasp is the duration of its effects, which relies on several different  factors. Here are 3 main considerations when it comes to how long the effects of kava lasts.

The speed of your metabolism

Your metabolism is a chemical process that turns your food and nutrients into energy. Your metabolism is constantly going, even when you’re sleeping. The rate of metabolism  differs from person to person often depending on your age, body size and sex. activity level and food intake.

Typically, more active, slender people have faster metabolisms because their bodies have learned to efficiently turn food into energy. If you are less active, and carrying more weight, you may have a slower metabolism.

If your metabolism is faster, you’ll likely feel the effects of kava faster and more intensely than your friends whose metabolism are slower. This is because it takes longer to move through your body and is slower to breakdown. 

Type of kava

The type of kava you drink has a big impact on how long it lasts. High quality kava can produce effects lasting 1-6 hrs.  The onset of results represents a bell curve, with the feelings starting off slow, ramping up to a peak, then tapering off. 

There are two main categories of kava; Tudei and Noble kava. 

Nobel kavas are the most popular and the kinds that can be drunk daily. They don’t have any significant side effects and in fact are often taken to help manage anxiety and insomnia. THey have the famous relaxing effects kava is known for and usually last 1-4 hrs with lingering calming effects sometimes for up to 36 hrs. 

Tudei kava has much higher doses of the adverse kavalactones (the active ingredients) and an undesirable kavalactone profile. This means it can cause hangover-like symptoms like nausea, headaches, and lethargy. It’s not recommended for use since its sedating effects can last up to two days.

Drinkin noble kavas are going to give you the best experience.

Dosage 

The dosage of kava can vary depending on the type of kava and the kavalactones present. A standard bowl of traditional kava has 250mg of kavalactones per serving. If you drink multiple bowls, this increases your dose. 

After an in depth review on the safety of kava, the World Health Organization put a maximum recommended daily dose of kava at 300mg, just about a standard bowl. However this concentration can change depending on the preparation. 

Increasing the dose will then increase the amount of kavalactones you are drinking. The more kavalactones you have the longer the effects will last because there are kavalactones waiting to be broken down by your liver.

Another approach is to sip kava for a longer period of time, extending your consumption and therefore the effects kava gives you. Knowing your dose and how it affects you is important to knowing what to expect and how long kava will last.