A traditional extract of Kava, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, may be safe and effective in reducing anxiety as well as depression, a study has found.
A traditional extract of Kava, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, may be safe and effective in reducing anxiety as well as depression, a study has found.
In the study, researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia found that a water-soluble extract of Kava was effective in treating anxiety and improving mood.
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Lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ's School of Medicine, said the placebo-controlled study found Kava to be an effective and safe treatment option for people with chronic anxiety and varying levels of depression.
"We've been able to show that Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety, and unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side effects," Sarris said.
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Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting approximately 340 million people in the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings.
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The researchers found anxiety levels decreased dramatically for participants taking five tablets of Kava per day as opposed to the placebo group, which took dummy pills.
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While the three-week trial raised no major health concerns regarding the Kava extract used, the researchers said larger studies were required to confirm the drug's safety.
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Source-ANI
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