Imagine a herb capable of enhancing your body wellness, emotional well-being, and help reduce your everyday anxiety! Kava is capable of giving it all to you. Kava is for the millennial generation who are health conscious and are on their way to achieve sustainable and non-addictive health alternatives. It has applications in a number of industries such as the food and beverage industry, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. This global traditional medicine has also managed to find its wings in almost every culture now. In the USA alone, places like southeast Florida are flooding with kava bars. Kava is becoming the new way to relax in a country that has been fueled by coffee and energy drinks for the longest time. This recreational drink is muddy-looking with an earthy taste but it is bound to make your head twirl for good!
The rage around kava does not exist in thin air. The brownish-grayish muddy puddle is making waves and we are here to explore why. Join us on this journey!
A brief history
Kava has ancient roots in the Pacific islands of Tonga and Hawaii. It is a small shrub that comes from a pepper family. Kava was grown throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia for its medicinal and relaxing properties. The domestication of kava in the Pacific islands and other regions have existed for thousands of years. It is used by these cultures for many purposes such as:
- Welcoming guests
- Social gatherings
- Wedding celebrations
- Funeral ceremonies
Kava has been providing clear-head, nice, happy, good feeling to people for centuries now. Its preparation in traditional form goes like this:
The preparation!
Traditionally, kava is prepared from the root of the plant. The root of the kava is grounded into powder, mixed with water for some time, and then strained. The kava consumption in traditional cultures is in consonance with the World Health Organization’s recommendation. So, next time you’re in Fiji, Tonga or Hawaii don’t hesitate to have kava wholeheartedly. Kava should only be prepared with the root of the plant and never the stems or leaves. The only part of the kava that goes unutilized is ariel parts of the plant including stem & leaves. The kava drink tastes bitter. In fact, in Polynesian it is called Piper methysticum, meaning bitter. It is this bitterness that pushes many cafes and restaurants to serve kava with pineapple or tortillas or anything that counterbalances the bitterness. Today, due to its increasing popularity, people are experimenting and re-inventing kava. There’s chocolate shake kava, flavored drinks and even kava candies! The sky’s the limit.
Beyond its history and ceremonial usage, kava is considered a social drink. The first-ever kava bars originated in New Caledonia, France. The young people wanted a non-alcoholic space to hang out and chill. Since then, kava bars have sprung like wild shrooms in Pacific regions, and in Western countries such as the USA. Today, more and more people are connecting over a cuppa of kava. This sudden surge and demand is a result of its chemical property- kava-lactones. Lactones are anxiolytics, that is, they have anti-anxiety properties. It has been promising in dealing with a serious mental health disorder- generalized anxiety disorder. What’s more? This does not make kava addictive in any way. Now that’s a good offer, isn’t it?
Kava is the new social drink in many cultures across the world now. It is slowly replacing the addictive drinks such as coffee and alcohol amongst the millennials
Kava and the millennial culture
Today’s hustle culture is constantly pushing people towards mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. The everyday hectic work schedules hardly provide an outlet to just be and have “me” time. Post Covid-19, the work culture has shifted towards more working hours because millennials are working from home. Long working hours with no personal time is resulting in chaotic mental states. People are in dire need of a quiet headspace. In the search for better mental health and sanity, people are heavily relying on substance abuse or even psychiatric drugs. In the world of pharmaceutical medication, kava has the potential to offer solace in the following ways:
- It helps in reducing everyday anxiety
- It reduces the painful sensation and has the potential to treat degenerative diseases or the nervous system conditions
- Kava can also aid in sleeping due to its calming effects
- It helps in the upliftment of mood
- Its therapeutic dosage is non-addictive
The beauty of this traditional ingredient lies in its powerful health benefits. It is taking over the pharmaceutical alternatives to health. People deserve a good mental health life and if a pepper plant has the capacity to do it, then let’s adopt right now!
Imagine sitting with a drink curated from natural resources in a small cafe, all by yourself or with your friends, and feeling relaxed. Serene and beautiful, right? Or Imagine eating kava candy on your way to work or while working and feeling light. You heard it right, kava candy! They exist.
At Ozia, we are constantly striving to learn kava’s magic and innovative ways to adapt it. One of our most sought-after and popular products is kava kava candy. It is convenient, has a tongue-tingling sensation, and is manufactured in a cGMP facility following strict FDA guidelines.
Join us at Ozia today, and join the natural revolution of creating innovative, natural products from kava, turmeric, and CBD.
Kava is here to stay and has become an integral part of society. As it becomes more popular, we will see a rise in more kava bars around the country and more kava based products being used to curb our anxious world. Why don’t we all join our hands to celebrate natural living today? Bula to your first kava experience, eh?