Austin, TX—Jiaherb has adopted kava (Piper methysticum) through the American Botanical Council’s (ABC) Adopt-an-Herb botanical research and education program. “Jiaherb’s mission is to continuously research, develop, and source innovative ingredients that benefit people’s health,” shared Jiaherb President Scott Chen. “At Jiaherb, we always focus on developing natural ingredients which have been clinically demonstrated to help people improve their health. Not only is kava one such ingredient, but our new super-critical extraction process will bring the kava extract to a new standard.”

Jiaherb accesses only the “noble” kava variety sourced from the island of Vanuatu, which botanists have determined is the original botanical source of kava, according to Chen.

Chris Oesterheld, Jiaherb Vice President, added: “The core of our sustainability strategy creates value through social, economic, and environmental means, and with kava, we are exercising these exact strategies…We are proud of being associated with such a reputable and respected organization as the American Botanical Council. This partnership directly reflects our core values of making a positive impact in our industry. Through this adoption we take pride in providing information that helps our industry recognize the human health benefits of kava. We are committed to and focused on continuing our research and sustainability efforts for this amazingly impactful ingredient that kava is.”

Fast Facts About Kava

As outlined in the press release:

  • Kava, also known as kava kava, is a member of the pepper family (Piperaceae)
  • Kava is native to the South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu, Fiji, and surrounding islands.
  • Kava rhizomes (lateral underground stems that shoot off the roots) have been used for millennia to prepare a beverage for ceremonial and medicinal purposes.
  • Traditionally, the rhizomes are pounded or ground and steeped in water to create a relaxing brew used to promote sleep and reduce stress.
  • Kavalactones are the primary active ingredients in kava’s anti-anxiety and neuroprotective activities.
  • In human clinical trials, kava extracts have been correlated with improvements in mood and generalized anxiety disorders.

ABC’s HerbMedPro database

Jiaherb’s kava adoption supports ABC’s HerbMedPro database—a comprehensive, interactive online database that provides access to important scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of more than 265 herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and fungi. The adoption makes the information on kava freely available to anyone visiting the adoption page on ABC’s website.

“ABC is deeply grateful to Jiaherb for adopting kava on ABC’s HerbMedPro database,” said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. “Kava has a long history of traditional use and is highly revered by South Pacific Islanders, who use it both ceremonially and medicinally. Jiaherb’s kava adoption enables ABC to further its unique nonprofit research and educational mission by ensuring that HerbMedPro contains the latest scientific and clinical research on this respected traditional herb.”