Effect of an Acute Dose of Crude Kava Root Extract on Problem Solving in Healthy Young Adults (Report‪)‬

Introduction Kava is an intoxicating drink that has been used traditionally by the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific (Singh 1992). Much like alcohol in Western cultures, kava plays an important role in many South Pacific social and religious rituals and is also used as a recreational intoxicant (Singh 1992). Traditionally kava is prepared through the use of a crude water or saliva extraction of the pounded or chewed root of Piper methysticum and is consumed orally (Singh 1992). This root extraction contains a number of structurally related compounds that are bioactive and are collectively referred to as kavapyrones or kavalactones (Bilia 2002).