Natural plants, and herbs that benefit your body and your kava kava expierence

[Winning Shenanigans]

i will preface this by saying I am fascinated by different herbs, spices and plants and have found a few that I can truly say have bettered my quality of life kava included. Right now I take
1) bacopa which is relaxing and very synergistic with kava,
2) lions mane which makes me feel more clear headed which can come in handy with kava because it sometimes makes me kind of zoney,
3) ginger takes away any nausea kava gives me.
4) choline and milk thistle to keep my liver in top notch condition
5) Ginseng as needed for energy.. Can perk me up if I get pretty rooted and want to do something that involves movement
6) lots of Vitamin b to give me a little kick in the morning if I'm still really chill ax
All of these are natural and healthy to take for multiple reasons but I have noticed are beneficial while or after consuming kava.
What are some natural things that you have found that potentate, go nicely with or enhance the kava expierence?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

It's a nice list, but I would also suggest some caution. While many herbs can be perfectly harmless (or even healthy) on their own, they might not always interact well with other, equally beneficial herbs. And obviously the more herbs you take the higher the risk of adverse interactions.

Having said that, I find kawakawa ("Maori Kava"), Horopito and Peppermint to be fantastic for bloating/any kind of stomach discomfort.

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

I have been paranoid of which liver enzymes each one uses and interactions in the brain actually (to the point I won't take Benedryl, Tylenol, or cough syrup on the same day as kava. I am totally with you, your body is a temple treat it as such and research everything you take to make sure it is safe.. (Don't even get me started on my research of the safety of commonly prescribed drugs uggggh!!)
I have tried peppermint and noticed mild improvement, but in the end ginger seemed to do a better job so I stopped buying it and eat a decently large snack of candied ginger evertime I partake of kava.. Have not hear of Hiropoto will give that a Google, thanks for the tip

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Horopito is quite good. Kawakawa is also quite nice. You can drink either of these after heavy meals or whenever your stomach is a bit upset (doesn't have to be after kava!).
I've written a short blog post about kawakawa and its connections to kava: http://kavasociety.nz/blog/4587940980/Kava-vs-Kawakawa-and-the-Maori-memories-of-kava/9533776

 

[TheKavaSociety]

The good thing about kawakawa is that it is a very, very common shrub/tree in NZ so I can always make my tea using fresh leaves.

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

Do you know if kawa kawa would keep mosquitoes away from my blood, and how would you rate it compared to ginger for an upset stomach? Btw I tried some club soda on a krunked stomach recently when I was out of ginger (not sure if it was a fluke or not) have you ever tried that?? And if so did it help?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Do you know if kawa kawa would keep mosquitoes away from my blood, and how would you rate it compared to ginger for an upset stomach? Btw I tried some club soda on a krunked stomach recently when I was out of ginger (not sure if it was a fluke or not) have you ever tried that?? And if so did it help?

I doubt it could keep mozzies away from your blood. It works as a repellent when you burn it though. I don't like drinking fizzy drinks, they def don't help me when I have any kind of stomach problems. I am not sure if kawakawa is more effective than ginger for nausea (from my experience, it's at least as effective), but I know that I can drink it in larger quantities without any adverse effects, whereas too much ginger can sometimes cause diarrhea or heartburn.

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

Does this look like an alright deal? https://www.herbalfire.com/kawa-kawa-maori-kava-macropiper-excelsum.html
And how much do you take at a time?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Does this look like an alright deal? https://www.herbalfire.com/kawa-kawa-maori-kava-macropiper-excelsum.html
And how much do you take at a time?

Wow, this is really expensive! I can get you much cheaper (and probably better) kawakawa or horopito straight from NZ if you want.

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

I would appreciate that thank you, after I get paid next I will shoot you a message to let you know it's a go, and wire you some money for the plants and the shipping.

 

[verticity]

You say you are taking "Vitamin B" -- I assume you mean a complex of B vitamins? There was a member here (@Steve Mariotti I think) who got elevated liver enzymes from niacin (aka B6). So, to echo what @Henry said, be careful. Have you had your liver checked out on the regimen you are on?

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

You say you are taking "Vitamin B" -- I assume you mean a complex of B vitamins? There was a member here (@Steve Mariotti I think) who got elevated liver enzymes from niacin (aka B6). So, to echo what @Henry said, be careful. Have you had your liver checked out on the regimen you are on?

Thank you for the warning I was taking too much niacin for a little bit but I switched my b complex so I only get 90% DV last fall after reading that too much niacin could cause liver damage. No I Unfortunately not get my liver checked due to lack of insurance but I have been very careful with it and take multiple forms of liver support. And I also know the signs of liver damage and pay close attention too my body

 

[Steve Mariotti]

You say you are taking "Vitamin B" -- I assume you mean a complex of B vitamins? There was a member here (@Steve Mariotti I think) who got elevated liver enzymes from niacin (aka B6). So, to echo what @Henry said, be careful. Have you had your liver checked out on the regimen you are on?

Yeah, that was me, vert. Cooked my liver (or was on its way to cooking my liver) with my ALT levels skyrocketing to nearly 4x what they should be.

 

[verticity]

Yeah, that was me, vert. Cooked my liver (or was on its way to cooking my liver) with my ALT levels skyrocketing to nearly 4x what they should be.

@Steve Mariotti how much niacin were you actually taking? Was it like a megadose, or like what would be in a multivitamin? Was it straight niacin, or niacinamide?

 

[Winning Shenanigans]

@Steve Mariotti how much niacin were you actually taking? Was it like a megadose, or like what would be in a multivitamin? Was it straight niacin, or niacinamide?

Good questions Verticity, Also to contrast has kava had any effect on your liver? @Steve Mariotti

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Just straight Niacin tabs from the health food store. Normal dose, no dose bombs or anything wonky. Happens for some.

Kava has had zero effect on my ALT and liver panels, even after 10 months of pretty much daily drinking. Of course I only buy stuff that tests Noble and prefer the heady stuff with DHM low in the chemotype.

 

[violet]

Do you know if kawa kawa would keep mosquitoes away from my blood...

Cistus incanus is supposed to be good for this, made as a tea from the aerial parts of the plant. It can also be given to pets to help prevent bites from fleas and ticks.

And I also know the signs of liver damage and pay close attention too my body

Just throwing out a note of caution here, but liver damage and elevated enzymes can happen very silently, not giving your body discernible symptoms of distress until significant stress or damage has already occurred no matter how well you may know your own body. Even without insurance, you can get a basic liver panel done without a script in most US states. It is inexpensive and worth the peace of mind, especially when experimenting long term with supplements .

While not a supplement, the best natural potentiator of kava I have found is following a session with a hot greasy meal, especially soup.

 

[Kavakaize]

Have had two liver panels done in last year of almost daily consumption my liver enzymes were lower on last test