The kava diet is based around the use of extracts of the kava root, a native Polynesian plant, as a weight loss aid. Although the kava plant was used by the Polynesians for a wide variety of reasons, modern alternative medicine practitioners contend that supplementation with kava root extracts can help boost your metabolism and cause you burn fat quickly and more efficiently. However, kava use has been linked to several serious side effects. Medical experts from the National Institutes of Health point to these concerns and to the lack of clinical evidence supporting kava's usefulness as a weight loss stimulator as proof that the plan is a poor choice for dieters.
Background
Kava, also known as ava pepper, kavain, gea or intoxicating pepper and by its scientific name, Piper methysticum, is a plant that grows wild in large portions of the Polynesian Islands in the South Pacific ocean, particularly islands like Samoa and Fiji. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it was traditionally used by the islanders as a tea that followed meals as well as by folk medicine practitioners as a way to treat conditions like insomnia, pain, asthma and urinary tract infections.
Aspects
Kava diet supplements are prepared from the powdered root and underground stem, or rhizome, of the kava plant. Commercial producers of these kava root dietary aids--and other weight loss supplements that blend kava with additional herbal extracts--claim that regular kava use can help users eat less and burn more calories, faster. In addition to its purported weight loss properties, the National Institutes of Health reports that kava may be useful as a treatment for people suffering from stress, anxiety or social anxiety disorders as well as possibly preventing the development of cancer by protecting the DNA within the nucleus of cells from damage.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The dietary supplements used on the Kava Diet are inexpensive, can be obtained in many different forms and can be incorporated into any type of lifestyle. The supplements promise easy weight loss without the need for changes in your diet or exercise regimen. However, according to the Diet Spotlight site, no reliable scientific studies exist that support the fat-burning and weight loss claims of kava diet proponents. Following the kava diet does not teach or encourage dieters in long-term weight loss and healthy lifestyle strategies.
Side Effects
Kava use is linked to a wide variety of side effects, some of them serious. These can include muscle weakness, trouble breathing, dizziness, an intoxicated sensation similar to that produced by alcohol consumption, digestive problems, headaches, altered vision, liver damage, hepatitis, extreme drowsiness and the development of yellow scales on the skin. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine also warns that kava can interact with the function of certain medications, such as drugs used to control Parkinson's disease.
Considerations
Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control strongly advise against using kava supplements, whether for treating a medical condition or as part of a diet, without close medical supervision. The supplements are not regulated by the FDA for effectiveness, safety or purity and a number of deaths from liver failure have been linked to excessive kava extract use. A number of countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, have banned all kava sales.
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