Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (AFS) has adopted kava (Piper methysticum) through the Adopt-an-Herb Program, which supports the American Botanical Council’s (ABC) robust HerbMedPro database, a resource for consumers, students and all members of the herb and dietary supplement community.

The generosity of AFS in adopting kava allows this vital resource to remain up to date with the latest research and pharmacological information on this South Pacific herb.

HerbMedPro is a comprehensive, interactive online database that provides access to important scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of more than 250 herbs.

“Kava is an herb with a long ethnobotanical history in Polynesia, and it produces clinically-documented anti-anxiety benefits,” said Mark Blumenthal, ABC’s founder and executive director. “ABC is deeply grateful to Applied Food Sciences for its adoption of kava on the HerbMedPro database, which will allow ABC to stay current with emerging research on kava’s benefits and new information that helps to clarify prior concerns about its relative safety.”

“Kava’s long history of use in the South Pacific islands demonstrates that it is a safe, effective, and useful tool with many important health benefits when used in the right form and when the correctly identified cultivars are used,” said Chris Fields, vice president of scientific affairs at Applied Food Sciences.

“Applied Food Sciences is fully invested in working together with farmers, agronomists, and the research community to provide the entire supply chain with the appropriate tools to bring sustainable, safe, and high-quality kava ingredients to the market,” she continued.

“We are doing this by leading collaborative changes in implementing the six-point plan that has been defined by the kava industry working groups, developing and executing effective growing and harvesting practices, acquiring and improving methods for cultivar identification and kavalactone content, and investigating and educating on optimum standards and best practices in the industry. Awareness of these efforts is essential. Therefore, it is so important for us to partner with ABC to help our industry make educated, responsible choices about sourcing kava.”

Kava, also known as kava kava, is both the common name for Piper methysticum and the name of a ceremonial beverage made from the root of the plant, which is a member of the pepper family. It is native to Southeast Asia and the islands of the South Pacific, where the drink, made from the ground root macerated in water, has been consumed as part of rituals for hundreds of years. Currently, kava is being investigated by researchers for its anxiolytic, sedative, anticonvulsive, and antispasmodic properties for conditions including anxiety, insomnia, and related stress and nervous disorders.

The formerly official German Commission E Monographs approved kava for use in conditions of nervous anxiety, stress, and restlessness. Another monograph compiled by the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP), a group of medicinal plant research experts in Europe, noted the use of kava preparations for anxiety, tension, and restlessness arising from various causes of non-psychotic origin.