Kava

Kava is a plant of the pepper family. It comes from Polynesia and other lands in the Pacific Islands.

Kava
Piper methysticum leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Piperales
Family:	Piperaceae
Genus:	Piper
Species:	P. methysticum
Binomial name
Piper methysticum G.Forst.

The roots of the plant are used to make a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties. Kava is used in many cultures in the Pacific Ocean, besides its native Polynesia. These include Hawaii, Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia.

Kava can relieve pain and make people calm. It is usually taken as a drug to relax without losing mental clarity in thinking and remembering. Evidence collected in studies show Kava is likely more effective than a placebo at helping calm some mild anxiety.^[1]