Home > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders > Kava kava

Definition

Kava kava is a dioecious (having male and female reproductive parts of the plant on different individuals) shrub native to the Pacific islands. Its botanical name is Piper methysticum; it is a member of the Piperaceae, or pepper, family. It is also known as asava pepper or intoxicating pepper. The narcotic drink made from the roots of this shrub is also called kava kava. Kava kava has been widely recommended in recent years as a mild tranquilizer due to its painkilling properties. As of 2002, however, kava kava has been the subject of official safety warnings from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its counterparts in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain.

Captain James Cook is credited with introducing kava kava to Europeans when he visited the South Pacific in 1773. Previously, the inhabitants of the...