Kava for Treating Anxiety

Anxiety affects many people. It’s symptoms can vary from person to person based on the classification of anxiety. For many people they look for some intervention to help manage those symptoms. There are many clinically proven things – from counselling, to exercise. Kava may also play an important role in treating anxiety.

The Research on Kava for Anxiety

There is good human evidence, showing that Kava may be helpful for treating anxiety symptoms.

Trial 1: In a review looking at 11 trials, with more than 645 participants, it was found that kava appears to be an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety. This review used the Hamilton Anxiety scale as an outcome measure, and it appears to have a strong beneficial effect [15].

From a safety perspective, it’s been shown to be very safe – where the trials included ranged from 1-24 weeks with a very good track record.

Take Home

There are various herbs and nutrients used in the clinical management of anxiety. Kava is only one option but talk to your doctor or naturopath before you start taking any natural or prescription compounds.