Frequently Asked Questions

The question everyone comes to when learning about kava is ‘does Kava damage the liver?’ The answer is: No kava does not damage the liver or cause hepatotoxicity according to research studies. Studies in rats have shown no adverse effects on the liver or liver toxicity for even high levels of Kavalactones (the compound in kava that gives the effect).

There is a compound found in the leaves and bark in the above ground parts of the plant that are not tradtionaly used in kava preparation that have been shown to create irritation in liver cells. Some people believe this to be the culprit in self reported liver toxicity, possibly from extracts made from the above ground parts of the plant, or combining kava with prescription medication, alcohol, drugs, or they had pre-existing liver condition.

Traditionally a water extraction method is used not solvents, and only roots are used to avoid hepatoxic alkaloid present in the leaves. We offer the highest quality noble organic kava root (with no leaves or bark), prepared with traditional hand pressed water extraction method to ensure safety and to honor the traditions and culture. 

Dr Lebot and Dr Teschke stated varieties considered as Noble have a “good reputation of safe use in Pacific Islands countries”. Such strains “have a long tradition of safe use” and have been “consumed on a daily basis without apparent adverse effects when used in normal quantities”.  Tudei kava or non-noble varieties tend to have very heavy and long-lasting effects and sometimes feel extra “potent” (albeit they are also much more likely to cause nausea, “kava hangovers”, next day lethargy/tiredn

World health organization assessment of the risk of hepatotoxicity with kava products: IIA Safety information -literature review: Clinical trials of kava have not revealed any hepatotoxicity. Experimental studies have not shown that kava has a tendency to have a toxic effect on the liver. *Clinical reviews of case reports cast doubt on a causal association between kava products and liver problems. The cases have come to regulatory authorities as spontaneous. 

“The sudden increase in kava consumption in the Western world allowed millions and millions of people to try kava, including those people who either had preexisting conditions, such as a compromised liver, or were just genetically allergic, genetically supersensitive to kava,” says H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender, a kava expert at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.