'Root' of the Kava Scare

[Guest guest]

'Root' of the Kava Scare JoAnn Guest Jul 31, 2003 21:36 PDT

Root of the Kava Scare

 

A team of scientists from the Universityof Hawaii may have solved the

mystery of why some Europeans who used products containing kava extract

suffered severe liver damage, prompting a number of different nations to

ban sales of the herbal supplement.

 

The culprit may be a compound found in the stem peelings and leaves of

the kava plant – known in Hawaii as ‘awa’ – but which isn’t found in the

roots.

 

It’s the roots that are used to make the traditional kava drink consumed

by Pacific Islanders.

 

Until now, experts were unable to explain how a plant used in island

cultures for 2,000 years suddenly could become so toxic that it caused

fatal liver damage in some cases.

 

When demand and prices for kava soared, European pharmaceutical

companies eagerly bought the peelings, which included leaves and stems.

After cases of liver damage were reported, bans in Germany, Canada, the

United Kingdom and elsewhere devastated kava sales, virtually destroying

it as an export crop in Hawaii.

 

In march 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory,

but did not ban kava.

Supplements containing kava are promoted as remedies for sleeplessness

and depression.

 

But to be safe, people should avoid drinking kava tea or ingesting

anything else made from the leaves or stems of the plant, according to

the study author.

 

The study has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of

the journal “Phytochemistry”.

 

JoAnn Guest

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