Thanks,
Barb!
Can you list the link to the page where you got the information? There are some directs in the info to links on that page--if we know where to go, we can get the other info. Plus, it helps us keep away from any "copyright infringement" stuff (love my "official" legal terminology?
).
pamatga, I have a dear friend that tried Kava Kava for a while and had some really bad problems with it. Unfortunately, it was over 7 years ago and I don't remember the details, but I do remember the mental note I made to never use it. Of course, that's
my extreme reaction!
The FDA has issued a
warning about the effects of Kava on the liver.
This website gives some clear information about the possible side effects of Kava, what meds may interact, and also notes that:
Quote:
In 2003, a review by the Cochrane Collaboration examined the existing research to see how kava fared compared to a placebo in treating anxiety. After analyzing the 11 studies (involving a total of 645 people) that met the criteria, the researchers concluded that kava "appears to be an effective symptomatic treatment option for anxiety." However, they added that it seemed to be a small effect [bolding mine].
The thing about herbs is that not only are many of the possible side effects untested or unknown (depending on
how you use them and what else you use alongside...), but the drug interactions can be a very dangerous problem. If you're thinking about using an herbal supplement, please talk with at least a pharmacist, if not your doctor, to see if you can use them with what you're currently taking (including vitamins, other supplements, and over-the-counter meds you take regularly). I was really scared after I read about the
interactions with St. John's Wort (see "Other Drugs" paragraph at that link and check
here for more). I used it for about 2 years a while ago and had stopped, thankfully, before that information came out, because when I stopped, I started two medications that would have interacted with it.
So, this long-winded response to your post,
pamatga, is meant to say, basically, that (at least for me) it makes more sense to try to reduce stress in ways that are most unlikely to have side effects. Food would be one of those ways--at least for most of us. Obviously there are always exceptions.