Questions from a kava newbie

[Nils]

1. I have tried some Fiji kava and Solomon Island's kava so far. They seem to both be just as good, to me at least. I think Fiji kava might have increased my libido more though, but other than that I only notice a minor difference in taste and effects. What kava gives the most euphoria/body effects? I found some old posts on here saying Fu'u is good for that.


2. Is it necessary to invest in a blender?


3. What is the upper limit of kava I should drink in a day (that it will still be enjoyable)? Most I've drank in one day so far is 2 shells with 3 tbs of kava per shell. I see a lot of people mentioning a cup of kava per 2.5 cups of water. I should try drinking that much in one session? Also, what are the effects of drinking more?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Most people say high 'kavain' strains give you more euphoria and a head buzz ...and strains that are higher in 'DHM' give more body effects. They all offer anxiety relief. so if you have anxiety problems, you'll feel a mild sense of euphoria simply from your mind&body being more at ease...no matter what strain you try. In my experience high kava strains just taste better and dont bog me down as much...they are also a bit more gentle on your stomach. In general they just seem more mild to me. I seem to feel the effects of DHM strains more.


Blenders aren't necessary, they might may help you get a slightly stronger brew if you have a chunky grind. Still squeeze and strain if you do use the blender.


Sometimes I use up to 8 tablespoons in about 1.5 or 2 cups of water...preps that say 2 spoons per cup have almost no noticeable effect on me.

However, sometimes i can use 5 or 6 tablespoons and get the same effect as i did with 8 or 9......and other times 5 or 6 tablespoons will seem mild.

Drinking more will often make your muscles more relaxed to the point of being a bit sloppy, you'll have no motivation to do anything active, eventually increase sedation, increase nausea ...heavy sleep.

 

[Vekta]

1. You'll get a few different answers about that. The only one that I got euphoria from was Kava Boy Hinehina...

http://www.kavaboy.com/apps/webstore/products/show/854221


2. No. They just speed the prep process along though. Also good if you don't have a lot of time or just don't want to get your hands wet.


3. It depends what you're using kava for. For anxiety and as a sleep aid you probably wouldn't need that much every day after your body gets used to it. I generally use a ratio of 2 tbsp root: 10 oz. water.


If you're just getting into it or drink kava just for the enjoyment of it you might want to use more. Using more doesn't always mean more effects though so you'll have to find out by trial and error what works best for you.

 

[kl.sakamoto]

...They all offer anxiety relief. so if you have anxiety problems, you'll feel a mild sense of euphoria simply from your mind&body being more at ease...no matter what strain you try. ...

 

No disrespect, but that isn't universal.  Personally there are only a couple different kavas that work for anxiety.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

I guess I should clarify that it is true, not all kava strains work or feel the same as another. Not to mention one single strains effect on you can vary to some degree from day to day....However in my personal experience, every strain I've tried from high-kavain to high DHM/DHK content, from hawai'i, to fiji, to tonga to vanuatu ... they have all had some amount anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties...and have all made my sleep feel stronger, deeper & easier. (which is common for anxiolytics). While some are obviously much more heavy, sedating and more pronounced, even the lighter, clearer and 'weaker' ones have been effective even if I didnt necessarily notice much or any inebriation from them. I'm pretty sure all Kavas are GABAergic/GABA agonists ... which should then make them all sedative/anxiolytics by nature, 'cause that's just what gaba agonists do. Whether it's Alcohol, GHB, Barbiturates, benzodiazepines  or Kava, they are all gaba angonists, they all have different but similar effects to varying degrees of strength and are all considered anxiolytic. I'm no kava-scientist, this is just how I understand it from what I've read over the years. 

...They all offer anxiety relief. so if you have anxiety problems, you'll feel a mild sense of euphoria simply from your mind&body being more at ease...no matter what strain you try. ...

 

No disrespect, but that isn't universal.  Personally there are only a couple different kavas that work for anxiety.