How Much Kava is Too Much?

Some of you who drink kava may be thinking, You can’t have too much kava! Kava is amazing!! You’d be partially right. Kava is amazing, that’s true. 

We hate to burst your bubble, but you can have too much. 

Think of drinking kava like taking medication or having a glass of wine. There are multiple factors to consider when it comes to how it will affect your body. Under normal circumstances, a 250-pound man can consume more alcohol without feeling a buzz than a woman who weighs 95 pounds. 

The same goes for medication. Your dosage is directly affected by your body mass and body composition. For example, you can have two women of the same height, weight, and age who need to take thyroid medication. They are probably not going to take the same dosage because it all depends on how their body will process the meds.

Kava works like that. So to answer the question of how much kava is too much, we need to cover a few bases first. 

If you learn nothing else from this, please know that the only type of kava you should drink is noble kava. Do not get confused and drink anything that has tudei kava. You want to choose high-quality noble kava to ingest into your body for the best results. 

Noble Kava vs. Tudei Kava

Both strains have different chemical profiles, and each of the profiles is divided by chemotype. Tudei and noble kava have different kavalactone ratios and they are analyzed to measure the kavalactone content.

Tudei Kava

Tudei Kava has been consumed for centuries. This type of kava has been used by the island natives for ceremonies and medicinal reasons. It’s not usually drunk on a daily basis.

Tudei kava seems to be a great option for growers because the plants reach maturity rapidly and yield more plants for harvesting. Some of these tudei kava variations have a very high kavalactone content. Kavalactones are responsible for the magic of kava, so that sounds like it would be a good thing ... 

These tudei varieties with highly-concentrated kavalactone content also bring annoying side effects of headaches, extreme tiredness, and nausea. And unfortunately, those side effects are not short-term. Tudei kava hangover lasts for two days.

There is a much higher presence of two particular kavalactones known as dihydrokavain and dihydromethysticin. This creates a problem. When these kavalactones are drunk in very high concentrations it is just a bit much for our bodies.  

 

Tudei kava is metabolized at a slower pace in the body. That is why your tudei kava hangover can often last for forty-eight hours. Who wants to feel sick to your stomach with a headache for two days straight?!

Noble Kava

Noble kava is the kava of choice for most people because of how the body reacts to it. This is why noble kava can be used on a daily basis without negative reactions to it, like fatigue, nausea, and headaches.

Kava farmers know that noble kava takes oodles of patience and an abundance of time. These babies take five years to reach maturity. Noble kavas are more desirable because their rootstocks are smaller than the tudei kavas. 

To get the most desirable effects from your noble kava, you will want to choose those with high levels of kavain and lower levels of DHM.

Now you should understand why noble kava is the best choice for your body. 

Next on the list. You need to find out how your body reacts to kava. 

Nobody can completely predict exactly how your body will respond to drinking kava. You will have to start by drinking the recommended dosage and go from there. 

The maximum daily recommended dose for kava is often cited as 250mg of kavalactones per day. This recommendation originates from the pharmaceutical industry's efforts to standardize and market kava products in a more medical form during the kava boom in the 1980s and 1990s. It is believed that the 250mg dosage was chosen based on the amount of kavalactones found in a large cup of average kava obtained from dried roots, a conservative and politically appropriate amount consumed by many visitors to the islands without issue.

Clinical trials using this dosage have shown that it can achieve the desired pharmacological effects and is well-tolerated without significant side-effects or impairing one's ability to drive. However, this doesn't mean higher doses of kava are necessarily unsafe. Traditional users in the South Pacific often consume significantly more kavalactones than the Western recommended daily dose without significant adverse health effects. The average cup of kava in Fiji or Tonga has about 250mg of kavalactones, which is considered a very small dose to them. Anywhere from 5 to 20 cups are consumed daily by most recreational users here. In Vanuatu, people drink 4-6 times the 250mg "maximum daily recommended dose" in one cup, and they drink a few cups a day.

 

While heavy consumption may lead to some side effects, they are generally considered reversible upon cessation or reduction of kava use.

 

The concentration of kava will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. So it’s imperative that you read the labels thoroughly.

 

So, you need to kinda test the waters. Prepare your kava and drink it when you don’t need to be anywhere … just to see how you are going to react. Drink your muddy water down and wait twenty minutes.

Within twenty minutes you should absolutely begin to feel the effects of your kava. Your mouth should have gone numb. Yep. That’s supposed to happen.

If your goal is relaxation and calm, then this dosage should be somewhere close to the right neighborhood for you. Just be sure not to drink the kava fibers in the bottom of your cup, or you could ruin your chill vibe with tummy troubles. 

But if you’re not using traditional ground kava, you may be using micronized kava powder. Micronized or instant kava powders are ground into a very fine powder. Some people prefer this type of kava because it dissolves better into the water without leaving quite so much grit.

When trying micronized kava, you’ll notice the dosage seems different. Rather than two to three tablespoons, you’ll only use two to four teaspoons. And unlike standard ground up kava powder, micronized kava is so fine that you don't have to worry about swallowing any of the kava fibers. 

Umm … who on earth wants to drink kava fibers and end up with stomach cramps?! No thanks.

What Affects Your Kava Dosage?

The brand and original source of the kava has an effect on the potency of your kava. Every Pacific island has its own variation of kava. Again, read those labels.

Some types of kava can be labeled as heavy, balanced, or heady. Heavy kava is going to be best taken before you go to bed. It should make you feel very relaxed and tired. Heady kava is going to give you more of a euphoric feeling.

Just like with alcohol, drinking kava on an empty stomach will increase the effect it has on your body and mind. So, if your stomach has been empty for a few hours, the kava will have a more intense effect.

Drinking it on an empty stomach will also help you know whether or not your stomach tolerates it well. If it doesn’t sit too well on your stomach, you can eat something small and that should do the trick.

Kava Reverse Tolerance

Kava reverse tolerance is unique to kava. Basically, it means that the more regularly you drink kava, the less you need to achieve your kava zen. It builds up in your body and takes less and less for you to relax. 

You can breakthrough that reverse tolerance barrier by drinking less potent kava and moving on to more intense kava. 

Medications and Alcohol Interaction

Medications and alcohol can both interact with kava. Be sure to do some research to find out how your medications will be affected by the kava. And as for alcohol … Do NOT consume alcohol and kava at the same time. 

Drinking Kava to Reduce Anxiety

If your goal with kava is to lessen your symptoms of anxiety, then taking two tablespoons of regular ground kava should be the right amount to take the edge off. You’ll just need to make sure you pay attention to how you feel when you start taking it. 

Chugging Kava to Get Krunk

What the heck is “krunk?” It is drinking so much kava that you have reached a state of kava drunkenness. When you become drunk on alcohol, you are completely impaired mentally. That’s not how kava works.

It will take anywhere from 600 mg to 1000 mg of kavalactone consumption for you to reach this point. Your body will feel very buzzy and woozy, but your head will be clear.

 

Can You Overdose on Kava?

If you go beyond the state of krunkenness with your kava, can you OD just like you would on drugs? 

 

Well, remember. Drinking cup after cup, or shell after shell, of kava, also means consuming all of the water it was made with. You are more likely to develop an upset stomach and find yourself vomiting after gorging on kava rather than overdosing.

 

You’re not going to vomit and blackout. Everything that happens, including the vomit, will occur during total lucidity. 

 

The point is, your body will make you throw it all up instead of hitting a point of toxicity or overdose. Overdosing is not going to happen. 

 

Sooo … How Much Kava IS Too Much?

That is entirely up to the individual. YOU are the deciding factor. You will have to try kava for yourself to see how your body reacts to it. Just be smart and try it in a trustworthy environment. 

 

Listen. If you really want to be sure you are getting the perfect dose of kava. Not just the perfect dose, but the perfect dose of top-quality kava, then check out Ü Relax. 

 

There is absolutely zero guesswork. We have done all of the research for you, with you at the forefront of our minds as we created our formula. 

 

We want you to enjoy your first dose of kava. That means drinking it without gagging. It also means drinking it without worrying you made it wrong. And it means getting the perfect amount for relaxing your body and your mind while staying in control.

 

One four-ounce calming shot is full of our unique blend of the best noble kava, L-theanine, chamomile, ashwagandha, and lemon balm. Every ingredient was intentionally chosen to enhance your kava experience.

 

• Noble kava: for relaxation and well-being
• L-theanine: for natural calm and focus
• Chamomile: for diminishing body stress
• Ashwagandha: for natural stress relief
• Lemon balm: for reducing agitation

 

We took what Mother Nature has to offer and married just the right blend of ingredients to deliver a kava drink that tastes delicious and won’t leave you wishing for a quick swish of water. 

 

We’re so confident that our balanced kava will ease your stress, relax your body, and focus your mind that we know you can drink it on a stressful workday. Can you imagine grabbing a glass of wine and expecting to relax and still be able to focus? Nope, you can’t.

 

Ü Relax can help you be more creative, increasingly alert, and improve your focus. It’s an all-natural powerhouse. Do you know what makes it even better? The fact that you can throw back one of our calming shots with absolutely zero brain fog. 

 

Yep. No crash. No fog. No fuzzy, muddled brain. And no worries of addiction or other adverse effects because all of our ingredients are clinically tested and proven to work.

 

We would love the opportunity to be your first and only choice for kava. We guarantee your satisfaction! And if you are not satisfied, we will refund your first order (minus shipping and handling, of course.) 

 

Calming Co. is ready to serve you!