The wonderful effects of kava

Kava is becoming better and better known in North America and around the work. This earthy beverage has been used for centuries in the pacific islands in religious and cultural ceremonies and for it’s many health benefits.

Feeling relaxed, focused and social

The best known effect of kava is it’s feeling of relaxation and calm. It works on special chemical messengers in your brain that are responsible for promote down regulating activity in the brain, leading to these effects. It has similar effects as alcohol, but doesn’t have the negative side effects of a hangover.

Recent research has found it to be a promising way to treat anxiety and help with sleep. This is exciting news as some of the studies have showed that kava may be more effective that anti-anxiety medications.

Numb fuzzy tongue

When you drink kava for the first time, you’ll probably get a fuzzy, tingling feeling in your mouth and on your tongue. You might even feel a little numb in your mouth. While this can feel very strange and a bit alarming it is completely normal! This effect come from the different kavalactones in the kava root. Kavalactones are the active ingredients of kava and have different effects on your nervous system. This ranges from the calming and relaxing kava is known for, to an anesthesic or numbing effect that you feel in your mouth.

In fact, kava has been use by some cultures as at topical numbing agent in some injuries and

How long does it take for the effects of kava to kick in 

The time it takes for the kava’s effects to kick in varies per person. The key factors are things like the strength of the kava, how much you drink, and if you are new to kava or more experienced. Generally, you’ll start to feel a calm and relaxing effect in 15-20 minutes. The feeling continues to build until about 2 hours where you’ll experience the peak effect of mild euphoria, increased talkativeness, muscle relaxation and sedation depending on the type you are using. Typically, feel kava in your mind first to respond, due to the impact the kavalactones have on the brain, then your body responds.

How long do kava’s effects last?

Similar to the time of effect, the length of the effect is also individual. If you drink high-quality kava, you can expect the effects to last anywhere from 1-6 hours. The effects of kava are like a bell curve. They start off slowly, build up to the peak, and then slowly wear off.  This also demonstrates the brain effect; how GABA is increased gradually in your brain and then over time, as the kavalactones are  processed through your body and your brain rebalance  to normal levels.