Anxiety is basically an emotional disorder one experiences when encountered by different situations and environments. It can be general anxiety disorder when someone worries alot or in other words stress, depressions, phobias which is the emotional feeling of extreeme cases of being afraid i.e afraid of spiders, snakes. Another form of anxiety is obsessive compulsive disorder, unwanted thoughts panic attacks, sleepless when thoughts fill your mind and you are unable to rest/sleep.
What kava can do to help treat certain anxiety forms are by reducing the stress and depression level to a minimum with carm and relaxation. Kava treatment for anxiety has been studied [1] and re-searched by health experts for some time now and have proofed to be working out although some critics critisize that kava can lead to liver damage there has been recent studies [2] that proof otherwise. Critics can argue that kava can cause liver damage but what proof can there be, kava has been consumed daily by Pacific islanders for hundreds of years and there has been no statisics to proof the arguemnet of kava .
There was a study [3] carried out by some german re-searchers trying to find out if kava can cure anxiety. The study of kava was done along-side another method which was the placebo effect method. How the outcomes were measured each patient was measured on a anxiety scale called the hamilton anxiety scale. The level of their anxiety was measured before and after the treatment which lasted for 6 months. Patients which were taking kava extracts both with patients who were submerged to the placebo treatments delivered the results sucessfully all 101 of them. The results in principal summarise that those subjected to kava treatment for the whole 6 months period peformed better than the others in the placebo category, the readings on the hamilton anxiety scale reduced to a low reading which proves that kava works for anxiety. This is just one of the many researches that proof kava can treat anxiety.
Kava can treat anxiety, yes that is a very bold statement but one supported by scientific evidence. Firstly, we should identify anxiety, what is anxiety and what are its kinds.
Anxiety is basically an emotional disorder one experiences when encountered by different situations and environments. It manifests in several forms:
- General Anxiety Disorder (GAD): characterized by "persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life" that makes normal activities exceptionally challenging
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): develops following exposure to traumatic events with symptoms including flashbacks and hypervigilance
- Social Anxiety Disorder: involves "intense fear of social situations where the individual might face scrutiny"
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): characterized by "unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that trigger anxiety" and compulsive behaviors
- Panic Disorder: involves "recurrent, unexpected panic attacks" with physical symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath
What kava can do to help treat certain anxiety forms are by reducing the stress and depression level to a minimum with calm and relaxation. Kava treatment for anxiety has been studied and researched by health experts for some time now and has proven effective. A meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials found "a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms among participants receiving kava extract compared to those taking placebo" with a weighted mean difference of 3.9 points on the Hamilton Anxiety scale.
While some critics criticize that kava can lead to liver damage, there have been recent studies that prove otherwise. A World Health Organization study titled "Assessment of the risk of hepatotoxicity with kava products" found that "most experimental studies haven't demonstrated kava causing harm to liver cells." Additionally, kava has been consumed daily by Pacific islanders for centuries with "little evidence of liver problems among regular consumers in these populations."
One specific study carried out by researchers examined kava's effects on patients with diagnosed Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The results showed that 37% of participants in the kava group reported reduced anxiety symptoms, compared with only 23% in the placebo group. More impressively, 25% of those receiving kava reported complete remission of their anxiety symptoms, versus only 6% in the placebo group.
The Cochrane Collaboration, known for rigorous systematic reviews, evaluated the evidence for kava extract in treating anxiety and concluded that "compared with placebo, kava extract appears to be an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety," though they noted the effect size was small.
This growing body of research supports the claim that kava can indeed help treat anxiety, particularly for those seeking alternatives to conventional pharmaceutical approaches.
[1] study of kava for anxiety
[2] study kava is not toxic
[3] kava can treat anxiety
Comments
"Are there any teas that contain kava"
Not at the moment which I am aware of, but kava powder could be the alternative for teas, it would depend on the mixture and the mixture could be mild according to your likes.