Known more for its psychotropic activity, or mind altering effects in the islands of the South Pacific, Kava-Kava is used more locally in the therapy of anxiety, tension and restlessness.

Kava-kava, is a psychoactive beverage which induces relaxation, improves social interaction and promotes sleep. To obtain more information on the mechanisms by which kava-kava exerts its psychotropic properties, researchers at the Department of Psychiatry in Berlin investigated the effect of kava-kava extract and pure synthetic kava pyrones on the blood to record its physiologically effects.

The study compared the Kava-Kava extract to amitriptyline, imipramine and brofaromine, three well-known anti-depressants.

The Kava-kava extract was found to inhibit blood platelets with the enriched extract having a significant effect and may well offer an important alternative in psychotropic medicines.