Kava
piper methysticum

I was recently told that the US Government
is restricting the sale of Kava Kava, due to possible
liver damage in some users.
I'm sure this will give the anti herb folks quite a boost
but I find it quite frusterating.

I have used Kava from time to time and as an extremely
nervous flyer {even pre 9/11} it has been a life saver.
However I don't believe that this herb should be used
on a long term basis and I wonder if that is where
the problems are coming from?

I think that the "trendiness" of herbs these days,
is both a curse and a blessing.
Yes, it is wonderful that people are exploring natural
alternatives to the toxicity of Western medicine
but I see an awful lot of people taking them as if they
were indeed, conventional drugs.
We as a culture have been "trained" to blindly take
whatever the doctor recommends and trust
that it will be safe and effective.
Few people bother to really research the drug, to see
what the side effects are and most Doctors
are very lacking in that info.
We are used to popping pills for the quick fix and now that
is translating over to the use of herbs as well.

People have the misconception that herbs are gentle and benign.
They don't understand that it sometimes takes a bit of time for herbs
to kick in, so when they don't get the quick fix, they take more.
I have a feeling this may be the cause behind the recent scare.

It does puzzle me how this herb has been used
in the South sea Islands for years without these probelms.
Could it be interactions  with Western Medicine that
are causing the liver problems?
My convention but very open minded MD once said that
inbuprofen is one of the most "dangerous" drugs
he knows of, in terms of liver damage.
I wonder if someone was popping that and taking kava
to excess, in tandem?

Everything has side effects and contraindications,
both Herbs and western drugs.
It's up to people to become responsible consumers no matter
what they take and research, research, research.
I'm sure some of this anti Kave hysteria is fueled
by drug companies who are being hurt by the the growing
resistance to their "poisons".
What drives me crazy is how every prescription drug
I have ever seen has pages of warnings and side
effects and I recently read that drug  interactions and dosing
errors are one of the top 10 killers of  people in this country
but nobody even raises an eyebrow.

However, let one herb, be even suspected of causing
problems and the media goes crazy.

Sigh... I don't have an answer.
I apologize for the length of this.
I work with scientists who I'm sure will be gleefully
throwing all this in my face and I just needed to vent
before I run the gauntlet.


COMMENTS
HISTORY


SOURCE(S)
Herbs For Depression

Pagan Daily News
Apache Rain's Place
~Aquarius~
4/8/2003

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"What a long, strange trip it's been..."
Jerry Garcia {1942-95}

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