For the 18% of the population that deals with some form of anxiety disorder on a daily basis, a new treatment option could help quell ongoing symptoms. A new clinical trial, focusing on the western Pacific's Kava plant, shows that integreation of the plant into a daily diet may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Kava is available for sale in the United States and is a popular drink, often consumed during ceremonies in the Pacific Islands.
Physicians in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne in Australia believe that daily doses of Kava could reduce anxiety. The Kava plant is known for its rich and muddy taste. This could be diluted by blending the plant into a shake or baking it into sweets. By masking the pungent odor of the plant, those with anxiety disorder could see improvement come via something as simple as eating a chocolate chip cookie.
The study began in an effort to find an available herbal remedy that could combat the sometimes negative side-effects of prescription anxiety drugs. The clinical trial done in Melbourne did not find any negative side effects to use of the Kava plant. 75 patients participated in the an eight week trial study. These patients were given Kava either in pill or baked form. At different points during the study the patients were also introduced a placebo pill. At the studies end, more than one quarter of the patients reported their anxiety was in remission.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly a third of money put into healthcare services a year goes to treat anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders can range in severity from person to person and any introduction of a new remedy will no doubt benefit at least some consumers.
In 2002 the FDA released a warning concerning the impacts Kava can have on liver production. Despite this warning, the plant is currently legally sold in the United States.
