KAVA KAVA - amherst.edu20kava.pdf · Overview Introducon Origins Chemistry, Preparaon and Psychoacve Effects Uses Economics The Kava Experience

KAVAKAVA

Pipermethys,cum

Overview

Introduc2onOrigins

Chemistry,Prepara2on

andPsychoac2veEffects

Uses

Economics

TheKavaExperience

Introduc2on

•  Name:Kava(Pipermethysicum)•  Family:Piperaceae

Introduc2on

•  GeographicDistribu2on:PacificIslands,primarilyinVanuatuandFiji

•  Characteris*cs:–  Alternate,heartshapedleavesandaspikeof2nyflowers;may

reachheightof3meters;perennial;rootsdevelopintoastarchymass

–  AlthoughKavaisdioecious,itisincapableofsexualreproduc2on;propaga2onisvegeta2veandfullydependentonhumans

Introduc2on

OriginsandDomes2ca2on

•  Pipermethys,cumhaspuzzledbotanistsformorethanacentury

–  Fullydomes2cated;mostlikelyderivedfromthewildPiperwichmanii

–  Placeofdomes2ca2onremainsambiguous,butmanybotanistsarguethatthedomes2ca2onprocessbeganinNorthernVanuatu,approximately3000—4000yearsago

Chemistry,Prepara2onandPsychoac2veEffects

•  Ac2vecompounds:Aseriesoflipid‐likesubstancescalledkavalactonesareconcentratedintherootandrootstock

Chemistry,Prepara2onandPsychoac2veEffects

•  Prepara2on:Mas2cate,poundorgrindfreshrootstock–yieldsagreenish,milkypo2on–  Tradi2onallymas2catedbyvirgingirls,butnowgenerallypoundedintoasoYpulp

–  Pulpismixedwithpure,coldwaterun2lthewaterhasamuddy,opaqueandalmostyellowishappearance

–  runkbytheshell–  Potencyistheresultofthevarietyofkava,theageoftheplantandthedilu2onofthebeverageduringprepara2on

Chemistry,Prepara2onandPsychoac2veEffects

•  Psychoac2veEffects:Afriendlydrug– Causessociabilityandhappinessandpromotesastateoftranquility—encouragespeaceandasenseofcommunity

– Unlikealcohol,itdoesnotinvokeviolentoraggressivebehaviororcausehangovers,nordoesitdiminishmentalclarityandmemory

– Excessiveconsump2on:limbsbecome2red,drinkerlookspar2allyinebriated;debateaboutthementaleffectsofoverconsump2on

Uses

•  AlthoughinOceaniakavaistradi2onallyusedasamoodenhancingdrug,italsohasalsobeenusedasmedicine,andcurrently100tonsofKavaareshippedtoEuropeformedicalresearch

Uses•  Bladderdisorders•  Arthri2s•  Urinarytractinfec2ons•  Anxietyandsleepdisorders

•  Gonorrheaproblems•  HelpsprovokeMenstrualabor2ons•  Leprosy

•  Vaginalprolapsus•  Migraine•  Generalweakness•  Chills•  Irrita2onoftherespiratorytractandasthma

•  Tuberculosis

Economics:KavaasaCashCrop

•  Since1980,whenVanuatugaineditsindependencefromEnglandandFrance,kavaproduc2onhassignificantlyincreased

•  Advantages:Importanttolocalfarmers;resistanttohurricanedamage;26%ofkavaplantsreadyforcul2va2onatanygiven2me

•  KavaisacashcropinFijiandTonga

TheKavaExperience