Kava is a herbal remedy which is extracted from the plant of Piper Mythesticum. This plant is found in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The name of this plant literally means Intoxicating Pepper. Fiji and Tonga are the people who live in these areas and they have been using this herb for hundreds of years as a drink in their social gatherings. They consider it a part of their tradition.

The roots are dried out, crushed and then added into the water to create a drink which has medicinal benefits. The people use it during their religious ceremonies as well to create a state of Altered Consciousness. This herb has some extraordinary benefits some of which we‘ll be discussing today.

Benefits of Kava

1.    Pain Reliever and Muscle Relaxant

The people who have recently been through a surgery or got an injury could use some kava because of its Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic qualities. These effects are mild in comparison to the other benefits of Kava but they may be the most needed effects by the general population. It also serves as a great pain killer for patients suffering from Arthritis. Kavain and Flavokawains A and B inhibit NF-kB and decrease TNF-alpha, which play a central role in inflammation.

2.    Aids Sleep

The relaxing quality of Kava that is derived from its Kavalactones is that it positively affects your sleep patterns and allows you to have a sound sleep. If you are suffering from Insomnia or you got trouble in sleeping, you must try adding little quantities of kava in your daily or weekly diet. It eases your Muscle Tension, makes you find the most suitable position, relieves body aches and, soothes your mind allowing you to drift off in uninterrupted sleep.

3.    Anxiety Killer

Kava has some Anxiolytic Effects as well which are widely admired by users and herbal practitioners. The use of kava balances hormones in your body and controls the release of stress hormones in your bloodstream and allows your mind and body to feel calm and relaxed. It also eliminates the danger of having too many stress hormones in your system.

4.    Prevents Headaches

Although kava has a quality of relieving other pains and it has many inflammation benefits, it has also shown its efficacy against headaches. Especially people suffering from Migraine and have some serious laboratory tests condition can have quick relief from pain.

5.    UTIs

If you ever had a Urinary Tract Infection, you know the pain which never lets you settle until the issue gets resolved. A perfect brew from the organic roots of kava can help you solve this problem. These infections usually bounce back in the cases of some individuals so a little use of kava is recommended in this case.

6.    Menopause Issues

There comes an age in every woman's life when she suffers from Menopause, which means that she stops menstruating. During this time period, the women go through many problems like Muscle Cramps, Mood Swings, Hot Flashes and, Anxiety which kava can treat by activating GABA-A Receptors, inhibiting Monoamine Oxidase-B, and increasing Dopamine levels in the brain. This transition may prove to be long and very uncomfortable but, kava has made its way through here as well and it has proved to be a sigh of relief in this scenario.

7.    Helps In Weight Loss

Kava helps you lose excess weight by eliminating Stress and Anxiety. One of the most common triggers for overeating is stress, it makes you feel hungry after short intervals. Kava can help people lose weight by managing that stress and prevent snacking between meals.

8.    Anti-aging

Antioxidants are powerful organic compounds that help our body to stay safe and kill the activity of Free Radicals around your systems. Free radicals are the by-products of cellular respiration and they can cause Cellular Mutation and Apoptosis of healthy cells. This may lead to Premature Aging and other diseases. Kava has often been praised of life-giving qualities and researches show that the radical activity can be reduced by the application of kava, as the concentration of antioxidants is so high.

9.    Quit Smoking

Kava is a powerful tool in helping people quit anything (Alcohol, Cigarettes, drugs, etc), as it can help Curb Cravings and Anxiety when all you want in the world is a cigarette. Kava can help you calm your nerves when you are on the verge of breaking the promise to yourself. So in a wider angle, if we see, kava’s benefits are an immense threat to our two major industries i-e Cigarettes and Anti-depressants.

10  Anti-Cancer Properties

Cell-based studies show that kava reduces the size of Breast Cancer cells and increases cells death. Another cell-based study shows that kava prevents breast cancer from Metastasis. Kava also stops the cell cycle and causes cell death by inhibiting the production of regulatory proteins PLK1 and FOXM1. Flavokawain A, B in kava increase the concentration of BAX Protein which activates proteins that cause cell death.

Kava stops the progression of Bladder Cancer and suppresses tumor growth in mice. Flavokawain A activates pathways (caspase-3/9 and Bax protein) that induce tumor cell death and inhibits proteins that prevent cell death (survivin).

Research shows that Kava (Flavokawain B) inhibits the growth of Colon Cancer cells (through the release of Cytochrome C and Bax/Bak Protein).

Flavokawain B reduces Prostate Tumor growth, in part by reducing Androgen Receptors in prostate cells.

11  Protection Against Damage Caused by Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

Oxidative stress in brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's can be relived by the Kavalactones extracted from kava. They activate the Nrf2 Antioxidant response pathway and increase the concentration of antioxidant enzymes (heme oxygenase-1), which combat oxidative stress.

12  Brain Function Improvement

Accuracy and performance in Attention, Visual Processing, and working memory tasks improve by a single dose of Kava (300mg). Kava Pyrones play an active role in parts of the brain (Amygdala, Caudate Nucleus, and Hippocampus), that deal with emotions and brain processes.