Kava is a popular topic these days. There is conflicting information available about how to drink kava tea and the effects of kava. One reason may be a result of people using the wrong type of kava.
Kava is extracted from the root of the piper methysticum plant. This type of kava produces effects that have been described as calming and reduces tension.
The farmers who harvest noble kava know the roots produce positive effects. However, there are some farmers who care less about quality and more about quantity. These farmers will use the leaves and stems of the plant to make quick products.
Fortunately, the more you research kava, the more knowledgeable you will be when making a purchase.
Because you can make the distinction between the two kavas, you can quickly determine which type of tea you are drinking. Make sure you are completely understand which type of kava is best for you, and ensure you know which type you are buying.
How Does Kava Work?
Farmers extract strands of kava root that contain kavalactones. There are many different kavalactones. When each is combined with another kavalactone, it gives the kava specific effect.
Kavalactones are the active ingredients of kava. Depending on the combination used, the effects of kava will vary in strength.
Because kava is such a social drink, some report their best experiences are when they are with friends.
What Are the Effects of Kava on the Mind?
Kava has been compared to alcohol when it comes to several of its effects. That is, except when it comes to the effects of kava on the mind.
Alcohol alters the mind. It impairs judgment and can make your thinking unclear. When you drink kava, however, you maintain mental clarity.
Happy Mood
Drinking kava tea has been used for around 3,000 years before, during and after ceremonies and rituals. It is a very social drink. The reason is that it puts you in a happy and friendly mood. Before a ceremony, villagers in the South Pacific would drink kava to promote good will towards one another.
This is not the same happy mood some experience with alcohol. With alcohol, your entire personality can change, for better or worse. Also, when drinking alcohol, you must continually drink it for hours to maintain that happy mood.
Kava’s effects last for several hours even with only a small amount of tea consumed.
There are also times when consuming alcohol that a positive mood quickly turns to a negative, angry mood. Bar fights are a fitting example of this. One minute everyone is friendly, laughing and having an enjoyable time.
With one foul word or gesture, those same people are fist fighting and wanting to hurt each other.
This does not happen when drinking kava tea. Visit any kava bar and you will not see this negative behavior. Everyone at the kava bar remains pleasant and friendly, throughout their entire visit.
Alcohol gives you energetic, excitable vibes that can turn sour. Kava gives you calming, pleasing vibes that are rarely changed. Many describe kava as making them feel euphoric, accompanied by relaxation.
Relaxation
Kavain is the compound associated with the relaxing effects caused by kava. After drinking kava tea, you will start to feel the tension in your muscles fade away. You will feel calm, but not so much that you cannot function.
You will not be overwhelmed with sedation. Kava does not cause you to lose the ability to walk and talk. It may slow you down a little bit, but you remain fully functional. While it is not recommended you drive while drinking kava, you can still do ordinary tasks.
Suppresses Appetite
Many users report their appetite is suppressed while experiencing the effects of kava. This may be because the feel-good chemicals in the brain are activated by the kavalactones. Kava can alter activity in the hypothalamus region of the brain, the part of the brain that controls hunger.
Appetite suppression is most common in new kava drinkers. It is known to stabilize the more you drink kava.
Restful Sleep
Another effect of kava is that of restful sleep. Kava’s calming and relaxing qualities allow you to have a deep sleep without interfering with the REM sleep that is so important.
The reasons you may not be able to sleep can include worry, restlessness and racing thoughts. Kava helps you sleep by reducing the tensions that typically keep you awake. It makes you just calm enough to fall into a deep sleep, but not so much you are overly sedated. Your brain still functions properly.
Mental Clarity
Kava seems complicated to some because they can’t understand how kava can make you feel relaxed and calm while also allowing you to remain mentally clear. This is exactly what kava does, however.
Substances like alcohol, opiates or even marijuana can make you feel relaxed at times also. But each of them clouds your mental abilities. They alter the brain, slows your thinking and hinders judgments.
Kava does just the opposite, leaving you feeling very mentally aware.
Effects of kava can vary from person to person. You may even notice different effects each time you use it.
It may take you a few times of drinking kava to figure out the right dose to give you the effects you desire. Some report they feel very little during the first few times they drink kava. Reverse tolerance is the reason.
Reverse tolerance simply means you experience no effects until there is a buildup of kavalactones in your system. Once there is a buildup, you will start to feel the full effects of kava.
Overall, drinking kava tea is safe and has very positive side effects and is enjoyed by many. It can be enjoyed by you as well. Make sure you buy from reputable suppliers and only get the best kava available. Then you can ensure your effects will be pleasurable.