April, 2000: Polynesian Islands
Kava, derived from the root and rhizome of Piper methysticum, has been used throughout the Polynesian Islands for thousands of years as both a medicinal and a social beverage. The Polynesian Islands include Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Papua New Guinea (the eastern portion of New Guinea island, which also includes several hundred smaller islands).
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Tropical Piper sp. Note the long, slender inflorescence.
The first use of kava was documented about 1775 by Captain James Cook and his team during voyages to the South Pacific Islands. Kava has soothing, sedative effects and has been used both in the past and up to the present day as a medicinal tea to induce sleep, comfort the ill, relieve anxiety, and cure migraines. Culturally, kava became a symbol of friendship since it was served by the Polynesians as a ceremonial drink when welcoming strangers to the village and meeting on policy-making issues and controversial topics such as land ownership. Kava ceremonies, which are still performed in many villages, are intricate, traditional, exacting, and said to rival the more familiar Japanese tea ceremonies. The area of space between the members of the kava ceremony is called the "alofi" and is a sacred zone. Once the kava ceremony begins, it is forbidden to stand, walk, or otherwise intrude on the "alofi."
Kava is mainly processed in two ways. One method is to chew the root and rhizome fragments, soak the masticated roots in cold water or coconut milk, and then filter the resulting liquid. A few hours after filtration, the frothy beverage is ready to be consumed. The second method of kava processing is to macerate the root and rhizome pieces in cold water or coconut milk and then filter the substance just before drinking it. The rootstock prepared by the chewing method, enhanced perhaps by salivary enzymes, has a narcotic effect unequaled in the macerated preparation. In small quantities, masticated kava can induce a state of euphoria and increased friendliness. Despite these tranquilizing effects, the mind remains extraordinarily clear. However, in larger doses, kava acts as a cerebral depressant that can be addicting and can affect both vision and muscle coordination. Kava prepared by maceration is given to the sick to ease pain, relieve headaches and migraines, and reduce anxiety and stress. Both methods of processing have possible side effects, including a rash that disappears when kava use is stopped. Excessive consumption and abuse of kava can cause dry, scaly lesions on the skin known as "kani kani" by the islanders. Again, this symptom disappears when kava intake stops.
P. methysticum is in the Piperaceae family. They are dicots, tend to be tropical plants, have long, slender inflorescences, and offer a one-seeded drupe with thin mesocarp. Peppercorns, which yield black and white pepper, are also in the genus Piper. Coconuts are in the Palmae or Arecaceae family and are scientifically known as Cocos nucifera. Coconut palms are one of the most famous water-dispersed plants because the fruits are able to float for long periods of time and germinate when they reach land. The coconut milk used to process either the masticated or macerated kava is actually the liquid endosperm of the fruit.
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Although the leaves and stems of P. methysticum have some medicinal value, the active components are most concentrated within the roots and rhizomes of the plant. Several resins and lactones, commonly referred to as kava lactones, have been isolated and identified from the roots and rhizomes of P. methysticum. Lactones occur naturally as odor-bearing components of various plant products, but they can also be made synthetically. The identified chemicals include methysticin, yangonin, dihydromethysticin, dihyrokawain, and the three most powerful kava lactones: kavain, dihydrokavain, and dihydromethysticin.
Many health food stores offer kava (sometimes called "kava kava") over the counter. It is said that just one cup of kava tea will promote relaxation and help relieve the day's stress while you remain alert and aware. Maybe kava is the reason the people of the South Pacific are referred to as the friendliest in the world!
References, Websites, and Further Reading
Balick, M.J., and P.A. Cox. 1996. Plants, people, and culture: The science of ethnobotany. New York: Scientific American Library.
Elvin-Lewis, M.P.F., and W.H. Lewis. 1977. Medical botany: Plants affecting man's health. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mabberley, D.J. 1997. The plant-book. 2d ed. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Information on Piper methysticum.
Stern, Introductory Plant Biology, 8th Edition
Chapter 5: Roots and Soils
Root development and structure, pp. 62—68
Chapter 6: Stems
Specialized stems, including rhizomes, pp. 95—97
Chapter 8: Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds
Differences between dicots and monocots, p. 129
Chart comparison of dicots and monocots, p. 130
Diagram of regions of a fruit, p. 132
Fleshy fruits, including drupes, pp. 132—34
Seed dispersal by water, including coconuts, pp. 140—42
Germination, pp. 143—45
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