Frequently Asked Questions

Everyone metabolizes Kavalactones (the active compounds in kava) differently depending on their quantity and type of liver enzymes. Your neurophysiology also plays a role in your sensitivity, therefore, tolerances can vary quite dramatically.

What it comes down to is how sensitive you are, how you want to feel and how often you drink it.

You can think of it like any recreational beverages the, however, often there’s an initial tolerance or reverse tolerance with kava, so we recommend beginning with the entire 8 oz serving or more. After the initial feeling subsides, you won’t need to drink as much to reactivate the heady, mood-lifting effect; so maybe another 4 oz will be enough to elicit the desired experience. In fact, once you've gotten past the initial tolerance you don't need as much to experience the effects. We have regular customers who feel great after drinking as little as ⅓ of a bottle, but because everyone metabolizes Kavalactones differently, individual sensitivities may vary quite a bit.

Kava’s a potent plant medicine, though, so please drink responsibly.

Temporarily discontinue use if nausea occurs; an indication that you’ve passed your personal limit. This is more common on an empty stomach or with large doses in a single sitting.

This is a common misconception. Kava has been consumed safely and often daily in the Pacific islands for thousands of years without causing hepatoxicity. It's also widely consumed in the United States in over 180 kava bars without incident. There's a great explanation of the safety of kava with many cited sources here and here.

You’re not having an allergic reaction, numbness is totally normal. We actually love this part. One of the Kavalactones is called Kavain (like lidocaine, Novocain or other things that end like that). It’s a numbing agent.

We emphatically discourage the use of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) while drinking kava and for several hours before and after. Acetaminophen is very taxing on the liver and even small overdoses of it by itself can cause liver damage.

If you’re on any medications it’s best to Google kava + the medication to see if there are any contraindications.

Another one to avoid is mixing kava with benzodiazepines, as they can potentiate each other and amplify the effects.

Alcohol and kava also potentiate each other’s hepatoxic potential—as well as alcohol’s intoxicating effects—so it’s best not mix them.

St John’s wort is also thought to potentiate the sedative effects of kava.

As with most plant and non-plant medicines, there are some side effects. These mostly stem from kava being a diuretic (decreasing your water and sodium levels). Frequent kava use can lead to mild dehydration and dry skin so we recommend staying hydrated, including with electrolytes (we recommend brands with a high sodium content), and moisturizing (especially your hands).

There is the possibility of nausea or in rare cases vomiting with overconsumption or on an empty stomach. If this occurs, cease consumption until the discomfort subsides.

Nope! If you drink an excessive amount before bed you may wake up a little groggy, but it’s nothing like an alcohol hangover.

Yes, we do it all the time! However, caffeine and other stimulants can blunt and reduce the duration of the perceived effects of kava. If a lot of stimulants are consumed, once the effects of kava begin wear off, anxiety can sometimes occur. It’s rare but if this happens, drinking more can only very temporarily relieve the anxiety. It’s best to discontinue drinking kava for at least a few hours in this situation.

Again, this is a common misconception. hey’re both psychoactive plants from foreign countries that start with a K but that’s where the similarities end. Kratom acts upon your opioid receptors and is extremely addictive, while kava acts upon your GABA receptors and is non-addictive.

Nope. Kava has zero alcohol and has pleasant, psychoactive (not psychedelic) effects, whereas Kombucha contains alcohol but is non-psychoactive.

Not even a little. We had no knowledge of them when we chose our name, which is based on the Samoan word for future, lumana'i.