Herb Pharm Kava root extract [Amazon Link] is one of the more popular kava root extracts available on the market today. It is made from kava root (piper methysticum) sourced in Vanuatu from plants aged 4-8 years old. The kava is extracted, using organic cane alcohol, into a format that can be imbibed with a simple dropper system from a bottle.
It advertised as “calming and stabilizing”, which is a set of effects that Kava is certainly capable of providing. Herb Pharm Kava Extract is sold in health food stores, vitamin shops, department stores, Amazon, etc. What is this stuff, what is it made of, does it do anything, and is it worth buying?
In this article, I will take a close look at this extract and its effects, do a Herb Pharm Kava Review, and give my thoughts in the conclusion.
Herb Pharm Kava Review
Herb Pharm Kava comes in two formats, a capsule format [Amazon Link] and a liquid extract [Amazon Link]. In this article I will be focused on the liquid extract. It is available in several different sizes and quantities, and the larger the quantity, the more significantly discounted the price per mg is.
Like I mentioned in the Natrol Kava Kava review I did, I have an innate distrust of large supplement companies that have a wide array of products who sell kava-based tinctures or supplements. Not all of these products are bad, but the attention to detail given by companies that focus virtually entirely on kava is another world compared to those who have a wide variety of products.
What is in Kava Herb Pharm Extact?
Herb Pharm Kava Extract consists of organic cane alcohol and Kava Rhizome and Root (580mg). That’s not a good start!
The general consensus among kava scientists is that alcohol extracts are not the way to go for kava, and water or CO2 extracts are considered much safer and higher quality.
According to Wikipedia, “On the basis of research findings and long history of safe use across the South Pacific, experts recommend using water-based extractions of high-quality peeled rhizome and roots of the noble kava cultivars to minimize the potential of adverse reactions to chronic use.”
What is the Source of the Herb Pharm Kava?
The label says that the kava in Herb Pharm’s extracts originates from Vanuatu, which is a helpful nugget of information, and that it was harvested from mature plants 4-8 years old. Some vendors neglect to even mention where their kava is from, and Herb Pharm gives us some significant information here.
This kava is from Vanuatu, and Vanuatu has a law stating that all kava exported from Vanuatu must be of the Noble variety, as opposed to the less desirable Tudei variety. However, there has long been rumors of unscrupulous kava farmers mixing some Tudei with their Noble kavas, and once mixed, it is very hard to tell short of performing lab tests.
Given that Herb Pharm specifies that their kava is from Vanuatu, which only is supposed to sell noble kava, and they mention that they only use noble kavas on their blog, this kava extract should be noble. But I’m still not 100% convinced.
What are the Effects of Herb Pharm Kava?
Determining an exact quantity of kavalactones per dropper-full is difficult, and the best information I could find online seemed to imply each dropper full contained about 75mg kavalactones. If a user was to take 4 droppers full, they would imbibe about 250mg of kavalactones. That is what would be typically found in a weak to an average shell of kava prepared in the traditional way, say from a kava strain from Kalm with Kava.
Traditionally prepared kavas contain between 150 and 500mg of kavalactones, so at four dropper-fulls, users will get a decent dose.
However, the effects of herb pharm kava are not very significant. There is a mild numbing of the tongue, and a general air of pleasantness that manifests itself, but the more intense pleasurable psychoactive effects of more powerful kava, and the “krunk” sensation achieved by taking multiple servings of kava, are definitely not present in the herb pharm kava extract.
Who is it Good For?
Herb Pharm’s kava root extract would be helpful to those looking for mild stress and anxiety relief through the day, or perhaps some help relaxing before bedtime. It is not a potent extract, and users should not expect any sorts of significant psychoactive effects.
Conclusion
After taking a close look at Herb Pharm Kava Extract, I don’t see a whole lot to like. The alcohol extraction is a turn-off, and the effects of use from this extract are not very significant. If just aren’t interested in traditional kava preparations or even micronized kavas, and really like the idea of an extract or supplement for use, there are better extracts and supplements on the market. The Gaia Herbs Kava Capsules are worth checking out as an alternative.
In the end, the Herb Pharm Kava Extract just doesn’t do much, and you’ll spend your time better and learn more by aiming higher in the kava world.
- Promotes peaceful relaxation, reduces stress and...
- Grown and harvested in the remote Vanuatu Islands...
- Prepared from the whole rhizome and root (never...
- Rapidly absorbed liquid extract
- Gluten-free and non-GMO
Last update on 2024-09-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API