- The Piper methysticum plant, or kava kava, may improve symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. The Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research attributes its efficacy to kavalactones, kava's active constituents. These kavalactones affect the body's limbic system, and may affect mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that kava kava use can lead to serious liver damage. Patients who use kava have experienced cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and hepatitis. The CDC reports a December 2000 incident involving a healthy 14-year-old girl who suffered from scleral icterus (yellowing of the "white of the eye") and acute hepatitis after using a product that contained kava. She required a liver transplant to recover.
- The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that you should not give kava kava to a child. UMMC further states that it is not possible to determine a safe dosage for kava, since its side effects are so serious. Consult a qualified health care professional for safe alternatives for your child.
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