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For those of us who have been very concerned recently about the purported toxicity of the use of Kava Kava will be relieved to hear that contamination seems to have played a large part in the recent problems with the herb. In herbal medicine (as with most medicines), there is a fine line between medicine and poison. In the case of Kava Kava, there seems to have been contamination of the leaf and stem peelings of the plant in some European pharmaceutical formulations. Traditionally the herb is derived from the root of the plant rather than the toxic leaves and stem. Our recommendation still stands that all herbs should be purchased from reputable HERBAL companied with knowledgeable herbalists in charge of all aspects of productions. Many herbs can be toxic and your naturopathic doctor can help you identify whether an herb is suitable for your use. The health food supplement industry is rarely regulated by the FDA and because of this it is very important to know the source and maker of your health food products and herbs.
 

Below is a comment from the president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the recent findings from the University of Hawaii.

"An Associated Press release on April 8, 2003 reveals what may be the answer to the question about the purported toxicity of Kava. The historical, ethnobotanical and medicinal use of Kava has been with the plant's root alone. Reports from Europe about hepatotoxicity from patients using Kava led to warnings, including one from the FDA in March 2002, which were suspicious, given that the plant has been used throughout the Pacific for 2,000 years without any significant toxicity. University of Hawaii scientists C.S. Tang, Klaus Dragull and W.Y. Yoshida reported that they have found a potentially dangerous alkaloid called pipermethystine in some of the Kava extracts produced by European pharmaceutical companies which made use of the stem peelings and leaves. The researchers have submitted a paper to the journal Phytochemistry which has been accepted for publication".