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Kava extract for treating anxiety.

M H Pittler1, E Edzard

  • 1Department of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter, UK, EX2 4NT. M.H.Pittler@exeter.ac.uk

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|November 1, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Kava extract demonstrates superior efficacy compared to placebo for anxiety symptom relief. This natural remedy is generally safe, with mild and infrequent side effects reported in clinical trials.

Area of Science:

  • Phytomedicine
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Synthetic anxiolytics carry adverse event risks.
  • Psychological interventions are often impractical due to time and resource constraints.
  • An effective and safe oral medication for anxiety is highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the efficacy and safety of kava extract for anxiety symptom treatment.
  • Evaluate kava extract as a potential therapeutic option for anxiety.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted comprehensive literature searches across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, etc.) up to June 1998.
  • Included randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of oral kava extract mono-preparations.
  • Systematically extracted data and assessed methodological quality independently.

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Main Results:

  • Seven trials met inclusion criteria, all indicating kava extract's superiority over placebo.
  • Meta-analysis of three studies showed a significant treatment effect favoring kava extract (WMD: 9.69).
  • Reported adverse events were mild, transient, and infrequent.

Conclusions:

  • Kava extract shows promise as a safe and effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety.
  • Findings support kava extract's superiority over placebo.
  • Further rigorous research is warranted to confirm efficacy and safety.