Gaia HerbsKava Root - Helps Sustain a Sense of Natural Calm and Relaxation* During Times of Stress - Made with Noble Kava Cultivars - 60 Vegan Liquid Phyto-Capsules (20-Day Supply)

I’ve tried many products, but Gaia really helps me relax and it doesn’t take much time.

I have tried a lot of different kava kava productsthis is the only one that is borderline pharmaceutical grade, I highly reccommend this brand if you plan on taking kava long term to avoid side effects.I am a holistic medicine doctor so I hope my recommendation adds some value for your search for the right one for you.The only thing is they are a little pricey for the quanity, but the quality is impossible to beat.I've gotten eventually sick/sideeffects/noeffect/infections on every other one especially the powders.This is the only kava kava product that is sustainably sourced, lab extracted verified and vegan capped.Its worth the upprice just buy it. Its your healthFor the guy complaining about the dark urine side effect it’s highly recommended you stay hydrated daily because it can dry out your system it’s an herb. If you drink plenty of water especially higher end natural waters Fiji, essentia, Evian, Icelandic, etc. and drink & follow the recommended daily dose for water; You won’t have any issues urine wise.If you drink a bunch of soda and junk or not a lot of water. Your going to run into issues. It’s common sense.

I experience quite a bit of stress on a day to day basis, so I read up on Kava to help with this. It seemed like a good choice, but there was also the small issue of purported liver failures caused by its use back in 2002. So I was a little wary of making the purchase, but I went for it anyway, just to see what it was like. Took two this afternoon, and in about 20 minutes there was a noticeable calming effect and mild euphoria. Things were just... ok. Most impressive is the fact that I was able to write a fairly complicated computer program without once getting stressed out and without making any silly mistakes in the code (I always make mistakes, so this was fairly remarkable). Kava definitely does not inhibit mental processes like alcohol. The effects faded out, perhaps a little disappointingly, after just over two hours. So for me, at least, this product works almost exactly as advertised.But only four stars. Alarmingly, two hours after use, my urine was dark yellow. This is not usually the case, so it was a bit alarming. There was also a very mild abdomen pain present. Everything returned to normal an hour later, but I can't help but wonder what this stuff does to the liver (both of the above symptoms, when present for a long time, signify liver damage). I imagine the chemicals in kava have to be at least somewhat taxing to the human liver, and I definitely wouldn't try a large dose or taking it for an extended period of time. I really wouldn't mix it with alcohol or even take it on the same day as drinking unless you're trying to blow out you're liver once and for all. I read up a little more on it, and it seems the stems and leaves are what caused the hospitalizations ten years ago, and no cases have been linked to the root. I wonder what part of the plant Gaia uses. The box would imply the root, but it would be great if a representative could confirm the ingredients for everyone.In summary: The effects of Kava, at least for me, are very calming and relaxing without affecting mental acuity. But I am a little wary of the side effects, and anyone who drinks heavily or is in poor health might really want to think this one over before taking it. I don't mean to bash the product, it's a great product, but it would be dishonest to write a review of Kava and fail to mention the observed side effects.

You really can't go wrong with Gaia Herbs. This will give you a nice relaxation but in a way that is also sort of stimulating so I wouldn't use to too close to bed. I use other herbs for sleep specifically. This is perfect for during the day anxiety relief.

Let's do some math to show why this product is ineffective when used as directed. Say you've got some high-quality kava and prepared a shell. You use a modest 5 grams of root powder which is 15% kavalactones. Multiply that and you get 750 mg kavalactones. Compare to the label and you see the issue -- it takes 10 capsules to equal a typical cup of kava. If you're a kava user and accept that, you could take 10 capsules (roughly $4 worth) and expect a decent effect. Sometimes this is okay for me, when circumstances interfere with drinking kava. (I've raised my product rating based on this understanding.)I gave a very long review a while ago and decided it could be condensed to "your mileage may vary" since we're each unique and may have very different responses to the same substance.