Kava each day keeps the blues away

Abstract

For the past 30 years, benzodiazepines have been the mainstay of treatment for anxiety and other stress-related symptoms. Although effective, these drugs are associated with a number of adverse effects which limit their use, including their ability to induce tolerance and dependence. The search for alternative anxiolytics has taken researchers along a number of paths, including the assessment of several ‘natural’ products that are anecdotally renown for their anxiolytic effects. The effects of one such traditional medicine, kava (a herb found in the Pacific islands), have been investigated by US researchers. The results of these studies into the effects of kava in adults with daily stress and anxiety were presented at the Second World Congress on Stress [ Melbourne, Australia; October 1998 ].