Kava is a stimulating drink made from the root of the Piper Methsyticum plant; a member of the pepper family, this is a tall shrub with green heart-shaped leaves, and it is cultivated in profusion in the South Pacific. Traditionally, to prepare the kava extract, the kava root is washed, cut, dried, skinned and ground, and then the milled kava is mixed with water and squeezed to get the potent kava juice. As it can take rather a long time to prepare a pure kava drink in this manner, kava producers came up with the time-saving concept of instant kava. As the name suggests, users only need to spoon it out of the packet or tin and mix it with water, juice, tea, hot chocolate or any other liquid of choice. Different instant kava varieties can be purchased online, but the best ones come from Vanuatu and are free of chemicals and preservatives.
In the South Pacific, kava is drunk mainly on religious, ceremonial and social occasions. It is usual for people to gather every night at a kava bar and drink kava from coconut half-shells or glasses. The traditional kava bars are generally open only to men, but the newer ones admit women as well.
Aside from being a popular social drink, kava is known for its anti-depressant properties. Stress relief and anxiety relief are two benefits of drinking kava kava. Instant kava is much milder than pure kava, but, given in the right dosage, it can be as helpful and effective in treating people who suffer from insomnia, headaches, muscular aches and weight issues.
To choose the best instant kava, it might help to research the different brands available in the market and find out which ones are chemical-free. You might visit kava forums online and get tips from other kava enthusiasts. You could also consider ordering different kava varieties in small amounts and trying them out to find the one you like best. While instant kava does not have the strong smell or potent taste of milled kava, it can pack quite a punch. It is advisable to maintain intervals of about 15 to 20 minutes between two kava drinks.
The medicinal benefits of instant kava have been offset by reports of its adverse effects on the liver. In addition, drinking the beverage in excess can slow down the production of red and white blood cells. Regular kava drinkers have been known to show signs of malnutrition, develop skin ailments and respiratory problems, and may stand the risk of paralysis. As a result of such health concerns, kava has been banned in Europe and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has urged consumers to exercise caution in consuming kava drinks and other kava-based products.