Introduction

Some of the most commonly asked questions about kava revolve about how it compares to alcohol, whether it can be used as an alternative to alcohol and whether the two can be mixed. In today’s blog we are looking at all these questions. More specifically, we would like to focus on the idea of using kava as a replacement for or perhaps an alternative to alcohol. We discuss the pros, the cons and provide a good dose of observations. Throughout the post we examine the differences between these two substances and briefly touch on the separate topic of using alcohol together with kava.

Before we start, we want to make one thing clear: we don’t want to demonise alcohol. Alcohol consumption has a rich and diverse culture and history. Alcohol in various forms has its place in our society and it can be enjoyed responsibly by a great number of adults around the the world. However, this doesn’t mean that it works for everyone, or that it is the best substance to use in most of the circumstances in which it is currently used. Our purpose here is to demonstrate that kava can have unique advantages over alcohol. In addition to being an attractive alternative to alcohol when used socially, recreationally or even quasi-therapeutically, kava can also be of assistance to those who struggle with their alcohol consumption patterns and look not just a for a more benign alternative, but actually something that can help them with breaking bad habits.

Why people use alcohol

For most people this question doesn’t require an answer, but it is good to remember that alcohol is so common in most Western cultures, that we may not even realise how widespread and deeply ingrained its usage is in our society. Alcohol has been used throughout history for ceremonial, religious, medicinal, symbolic and, above all, recreational and social purposes. In New Zealand, alcohol accompanies weddings, birthdays, religious and political ceremonies. It is there during romantic encounters, business discussions, formal and informal gatherings. It is believed to facilitate the flow of discussion (even though it hardly helps to improve the quality of any discussion). It is used for its taste and as part of more or less elaborate meals (even though it may actually interfere with digestion). It is used to combat (or rather dull) both physical and emotional pain. It is used to calm (or again, perhaps to dull or mask) stress, to facilitate falling asleep (even though it has been proven to decrease the overall quality of one’s sleep).

How does kava differ from alcohol

Traditionally, on the islands, kava has been for many different purposes, ranging from ceremonial through medicinal to recreational. It can thus be argued that in many societies across Oceania it has played a role similar to that played by alcohol in the Western cultures. Both kava and alcohol are “plant based”, both are known for “relaxing” effects, both are consumed predominantly in the afternoon/evening and both are often consumed in a social setting. However, there are several important differences between kava and alcohol:

• The effects produced by kava depend not just on a number of active compounds (kavalactones), but also on their specific distribution and concentration (that differs from one cultivar to another), synergy between them and other phytochemicals, as well as the form and style in which the plant is consumed (see our blog post on the Different Ways of Drinking Kava). Some kavas are known to be more euphoric and mentally uplifting, others are more sedating or mellowing. Some kavas act quickly, others slowly creep up. The differences between cultivars are not just quantitative, but qualitative. The differences between styles of drinking don’t just result in the different intensity of the effects, but in actually producing substantially different experiences. By contrast, alcohol’s effects are caused by just ethanol. Different alcoholic beverages contain different levels of ethanol and different styles of drinking can result in different levels of intoxication, but we are talking more about quantitative than qualitative difference.

• Unlike with alcohol, most users find the effects of kava to become stronger and deeper with time and practice. Indeed, many first-time users of kava either fail to feel anything or only experience very mild effects of the plant. This phenomenon is often referred to as “reverse tolerance” (meaning that the more kava one drinks, the less they need to feel and enjoy its effects) or “initial tolerance” (the latter reflects perhaps a more accurate a view that instead of an ever increasing sensitivity to kava, there’s simply just an initial period of insensitivity that is followed by a high plateau of consistently good effects). Massey University Professor of Psychology Robert J. Gregory described it in this way: Over time, the Kava experience is like learning to meditate. Repeated use, and the teaching of others, taught me how to savour that experience.

• Kava is fundamentally a peaceful agent. Its consumption is universally associated with peaceful disposition and interactions. On the one hand, this is related to the fact that kava itself is known to produce a sense of calmness. On the other hand, it is related to the fact that kava is best enjoyed in a peaceful, serene ambiance. As noted by Professor Gregory: The [kava] meditation is like an altered state of consciousness. Men on Tanna [island in Vanuatu] describe it as being in touch with the supernatural. You think and listen to your thoughts. Sometimes it is like entering a light, relaxed dream. Some describe it as like looking into a mirror. One's mind goes beyond one's body and looks back. The effect is only maintained if there is peace and quiet. One effect is that one's life must be lived with peace and harmony, for otherwise the next Kava experience would be interrupted by unpleasant thoughts. In this way Kava presents a positive psychological benefit, for one is more likely to lead a non-violent life. One is more likely to try to lead a "sacred" life. This is in contrast with alcohol, which seems linked to violence, conflict and discord. Some of the "big men" on Tanna ordered troublesome young men who were frequent users of alcohol to drink Kava, curbing their violence. Those who were not "custom" [i.e. living in accordance with traditional rules] people were more likely to use alcohol and engage in violence.

  In a similar vain, an American plant-medicine expert, Chris Kilkham, explained that: Kava tends one towards reflection and quiet conversation. The Ni-Vanuatu speak of “listening to kava”, a condition of peaceful quiet that follows the consumption of a few good shells (…). Kava replicates some dimension of the inner peace achieved through meditation very well. Good kava effortlessly induces a condition of pleasurable contemplation.

  Unlike in the case of many alcohol-fueled meetings, pure kava sessions are quiet and peaceful. Conversations are rarely loud, the music (if any) is generally played at low volume and of the relaxing type. Visitors to Vanuatu are often astonished to see large groups of young men and women at the local kava bars having quiet conversations, almost whispering. The more kava people drink, the more mellow and quiet they appear. This is a rather start contrast to alcohol that makes at least some people considerably louder and more agitated.

• Unlike alcohol, kava is not physically addictive. As explained by Dr Lebot: "By pharmacological standards, kava is not classified as a drug, as its consumption never leads to addiction or dependency". What is meant by this is that even those who consume kava over a long period of time and then stop, do not appear to be experiencing any withdrawal effects. Furthermore, one does not seem to be able to develop a tolerance to kava. In fact, kava can be characterized by the so-called "reverse tolerance", where new users require far greater amounts of the plant to feel any effects than those who drink it regularly. We’ve always been rather fascinated and a bit perplexed by kava’s lack of potential for causing addiction and hence contacted a known kava expert, Dr Mathias Schmidt to ask him for his opinion regarding the reasons why kava usage doesnt’ appear to be causing addiction. In his opinion: With respect to the pharmacology of kava (…) the mechanisms of action are not well known. Obviously this is a non-standard mechanism, there is one group that showed highly interesting and selective effects on certain ion channels related to the exitability of nerve cells. As there is a highly complex and extremely sophisticated distribution of such channels throughout our CNS, the effect could be self-controlled. This is obviously not the typical addictive mechanism of drug blocking of activating a receptor like the opoiod receptors or GABA directly, it may be all about intracellular sodium and calcium concentrations at the right place. Very small concentration changes, huge overall effect, but no addiction. The ion channels don’t multiply, they just open or close. That’s different in typical addictions, where the number of receptors is regulated up- or downwards, which causes a problem the moment the challenge (the addictive drug) is withdrawn.

  Whatever the exact reason, our own experience agrees with the view that kava usage does not lead to physical dependence or increased tolerance. At the same time, we are aware that kava, just like many other things and activities, can be habit-forming and that it is important to ensure that one’s kava consumption does not come at the expense of other responsibilities and obligations.

• Kava appears to be facilitating deep and regenerating sleep. While many people might believe that alcohol can be helpful with falling asleep, research indicates that in most cases it can actually produce serious disturbance of sleep (more information about it can be found here). In other words, even though some people might find it easier to fall asleep after an alcoholic drink, the quality of their sleep might be significantly reduced. By contrast, according to some limited research (you can read about it in our separate blog post dedicated to kava’s effects on sleep) and anecdotal evidence, kava (especially the heavier cultivars) is likely to have both sleep-inducing and sleep-quality improving effects.

Using Kava as a Replacement for Alcohol

The above features of kava make it potentially an attractive replacement for alcohol. This is especially true for those who may want to cut down on their alcohol usage and those who are looking for something to help them relax at the end of a long day without clouding their judgement and negatively affecting their sleep, overall well-being and interactions with friends and family. Some limited research (for example this study) also suggest that kava might potentially be an effective anti-craving agent for those who aren’t just keen to explore alternatives to alcohol, but also by those struggling with more serious alcohol dependence. One person found the experience of using kava to as aid in escaping alcoholism so interesting and life-changing that she even wrote a book about it (see here).

Over the years we’ve noticed that many (if not most) of the non-Pasifika New Zealanders who decide to try kava do so precisely because they are looking for a more benign alternative to alcohol either because they are not happy with their own drinking patterns or because they can’t stand alcohol’s side-effects, but still want a social lubricant or after-work relaxant. Many do not set out to completely replace alcohol with kava, but with time kava simply becomes their overwhelming preference. This was our experience at the University of Auckland. What started off as a novelty/curious alternative to after work Friday beers became and overwhelming preference not just at the university but also outside of it.

In order to illustrate how kava can be used an alcohol replacement and what the potential benefits are, we’ve collected a few anecdotes from our friends, but also from posters participating in kava discussions on various kava-focused online platforms. They are both interesting and useful as they can highlight better the specific individual circumstances, concerns and results than broader studies or even more general descriptions of kava’s features. We hope you too find them helpful.

One of the best and most detailed stories published originally on the Kava Forums:

Hopefully this helps anyone contemplating using kava as route to freedom from daily drinking. My story is simple and typical. I'm 48 now. Was never worse than a weekend warrior for many years. Something changed in my 30's and I became a daily drinker. Not the 1-2 beers a day drinker. A 3-4 beers + close half a fifth of bourbon per day drinker.

I was functional. Always went to work. Rarely had a bad hangover. But was a slave to daily drinking. By 6pm my mouth was dry for the first drink. If I was working late or had to do something before I got home the craving would be front and center until I could get home and get relief. My father was an evening scotch drinker his entire adult life. Same kind of drinker as me. Everyday maintenance with roughly the same amount. I knew it was a problem for years because I couldn't go a day without drinking but I also knew my life wasn't spinning out of control so I could easily live with it.

During a routine physical in May of 2015 I got the news that my liver enzymes were out of whack and had to get an ultrasound. I was pretty nervous to be honest. All those years of drinking coming to a head with health problems. Not the type of news anyone wants to hear. Thankfully it was "only" stage 1 mild fatty liver. I confessed my drinking to my doctor (of course I never mentioned it before. lol) and the plan of action was to abstain for 3 months and retest. Quitting was pretty easy after the first week. It's not hard to be motivated when you get a warning shot that your liver can't handle your habits. I lost weight, ate right, exercised, and got a clean bill of health 3 months later.

I swore I would never drink again. Then I thought I could drink moderately on occasion. Then I thought I could have 2 glasses of wine per day. Then I thought I could only drink bourbon on the weekends. The slippery slope of lying to myself and regressing right back to square 1. It happens so easily to countless people with drinking problems. For some of us there is no middle ground. We either drink or we don't. If we do drink we have to get a "fix" and not a taste. It's a progressive problem/disease. Once you cross a line you are never the same. I crossed the line about 12-15 years ago. It is what it is and I'm good with it. For those who haven't crossed the line...stay the hell away from it. If you see yourself fast approaching the point of no return then do everything in your power to stay away. If you quit because you think you have a problem and then start again but slip from moderation to excessive then you have all the evidence you need that you have progressed to point where alcohol controls you and not the other way around. If drinking in moderation brings you no pleasure and you always crave more but fight it...you have crossed the line so stop fighting moderation and stop drinking. If you can take or leave alcohol at any time and any quantity then I'm jealous. LOL

At least for me going cold turkey is pretty easy at first. Uncomfortable? Heck yea. Unmanageable? not really. After a week of fighting bad sleep and irritability things start feeling pretty normal with one exception. My 6-9pm "witching hour" is scribed into my mental code. Those cravings never left during my long sober stint in 2015. The cravings came and I pushed them aside. After 9pm or so I'm good to go. After my protracted 4 month relapse I took my last drink about a month ago. I realized I fell completely down the slippery slope and that is exactly where I swore I would never be again 15 months ago.

I'm always honest with myself. I like "altered states". I done plenty of stuff in my past which I thankfully grew completely out of over the years. But I couldn't shake alcohol. Could I live a completely sober life from all substances forever? Yea I probably could but again, being completely honest...I really don't want to. I like to unwind at the end of the day with something other than reality. A break from it all. I have 4 kids and a complicated job. Letting it all go at the end of the day feels good. No two ways around it.

I researched kava last year during my sober spell. The liver scare articles turned me away. I already had a stressed liver. No sense adding to it. This time around I did more research and quickly realized I fell victim to half truths and misinformation. It's hardly a surprise though. The reputation of what has been consumed for hundreds or thousands of years by millions of people with no known risk to the liver was tarnished by pharmaceutical and supplement companies in just a few short years. The strong message I saw after researching the second time was stick with noble and stick with traditional and don't worry about anything.

I ordered various roots. My first package arrived Thursday last week. I had low expectations because of the reverse tolerance thing. Heh, I'm a lucky one. No RT for me. I downed 2 shells in 30 minutes and sat on the couch. Oh boy did that feel good. I chose heady to start and I felt it for sure. Nice waves of relaxation and slight euphoria with zero cravings to drink. It was 6pm and I was feeling great without drinking.

The next 4 nights were a perfect repeat. I get the heady/heavy thing now. Heavy isn't good for pre-dinner for me but is works great as a night cap. I had a test on Sunday watching my NFL team. I drank 2 shells right before the game and felt fantastic. No beer cravings whatsoever. I'm still very early into my kava drinking experiment but the initial results are FAR better than I anticipated. I honestly believe I have personally found a perfect substitute for alcohol. It's even better in some important ways. A good dose lasts a long time and you aren't chasing the buzz like with drinking. Great sleep and easy waking are pretty nice too. We'll see how things go over the next month but I'm pretty encouraged right now.

Does kava deliver an exact replacement for alcohol? Absolutely not. It's not nearly that strong. Does it deliver a feeling pleasurable enough to replace alcohol? For me, 100% yes. I don't need to get hammered. I just need a pleasurable altered state of mind to be satisfied. And I get that. My biggest problem with alcohol was a very high tolerance. 4 beers meant nothing to me. It took the bourbon on top to get the job done right.

One thing I have contemplated is that it's probably best for a heavy drinker to get away from drinking for a week or 2 before trying Kava. Give your body a chance to adjust and heal a little without alcohol. Kava is subtle enough that it won't cure the acute heavy cravings that occur during the first week or 2. That may discourage some people. Also, getting through RT could be a challenge. It would take time and patience. Someone who is fresh off of booze probably isn't going to have time or patience to work through an experiment. My best guess to be successful is to commit to not drinking first, give yourself some straight sober time, and then use kava to help keep you sober.

Another story comes from a veteran kava drinker and reviewer:

Kava is such an excellent alcohol replacement that I'm almost afraid of the word getting out. I have struggled with the bottle for many years. When I was in South Sudan and trying to block out some of the horrors I was experiencing day-to-day, I would often find solace in spirits. This bad choice came home with me, and for the past year or so I have been battling the bottle. I went for an extended period of time where I would only drink Kava once a week, or sometimes even once every two weeks. But these days, I only allow myself alcoholic drinks on Fridays and Saturdays. Even then, I can only drink a couple beers before feeling drunk, and then I feel sick in the night and the morning after. I actually think this is a good thing. When I first started weaning myself off, I suffered from crippling panic attacks and even dizziness. It was extremely eye-opening to come face to face with the depth of my addiction. Kava really does take the edge off the symptoms. And now when I am tempted to get some drinks, I just knead up some Kava. On a night-to-night basis, it works magically. My only caution is the initial cut-off period. If you're a serious alcoholic, it will still be painful if you try to cut off alcohol immediately.

As always, be aware of the risks of battling alcohol. You can win some battles and then lose big, falling off and crumbling. Kava alone isn't enough. You're going to need to inspire yourself to find new hopes, new hobbies, new interests. Change up your routine and try new things. Giving up the bottle can have dangerous short-term risks. If you are really struggling, make sure you don't do it alone. And yes, drink Kava when you feel like heading to the bar or liquor store.

Another perspective was offered by someone who was using alcohol to mask their anxiety:

I do not abstain completely but kava helped me 1000%. I was treating anxiety with alcohol in a really negative way, and I began to frighten myself when all I could think about on my commute home from work was getting in the house and pouring a drink. I had lots of trouble moderating my drinking, and I would also get a little shaky if I didn't drink for a day or two.

I looked to kava to help the anxiety, and IMMEDIATELY I lost that intense craving for alcohol. I took the opportunity and I was sober for about 4 months.

I now drink on occasion socially but I don't have anywhere near the cravings I did. I have had the positive experience of going to events where people are drinking and abstaining completely; on other occasions where I have chosen to drink I am much more able to keep myself to just one of two drinks. Before kava I was easily drinking over twenty drinks a week on average, now in a typical week I have 2-4 drinks, all in the company of friends or family. In general - I now feel like I'm in control. I think kava could legitimately be a real treatment for alcoholism if only it were studied more carefully.

This story comes from a friend of ours and a long-term kava drinker who offers some thoughts on kava becoming part of his lifestyle:

Kava is my medicine. It's non-addictive, and has no withdrawal effects. Yeah, you can get slightly twisted on it, but there's something that sets it aside from everything I did consume back in the day. As much as it takes you away....it doesn't. My higher functioning is always 100% intact. It could be the fact that kava has been a part of my recovery since the beginning, but the guilt/shame aspect has passed. I think the further down the road, and the more you see people suffer from the debilitating psychiatric issues you once suffered from you finally ask yourself "If you know something works, but avoid it like the plague to prove a point...is that point worth making?" To me, not at all. I am the only one I truly have to live my entire life with. I like to think of myself as more focused on reality than concept. The reality of it being that I had debilitating social anxiety, and could barely function in a group larger than 3 or 4. After long term kava intake I can confidently say I no longer suffer from those issues. Also the depression I once regularly experienced I no longer have. I watch people who hurt and just wish I could get them to attempt kava.

It took me awhile to get to this point, but I just accept kava. It's part of me, and I love that. It's calming, and has completely removed my desire for other things to change the way I think or perceive. I'm more receptive, and take my time with decisions. At some point function take precedence over ideology, and this is one of those times for me.

Our friend from Australia offered this short description:

Before kava I drank alcohol 7 days a week. My sleep was not good, I would often wake at 3.00 am and find it difficult to get back to sleep. When I woke for the day, usually around 5.30, I felt tired and depressed. I now drink kava 6-7 days a week and alcohol once or twice a month (on non-kava days). On kava I sleep very well, I awake refreshed and looking forward to the day. I am more relaxed during the day. The difference is chalk and cheese. I have also lost some weight (bonus!).

Another kava drinker with a history of alcohol issues shared this account:

As a recovering alcoholic who tried to quit countless times with no success, I can attest to kava's usefulness in this regard.  While my alcoholic drinking phase was fairly short (3-4 years), it made my life completely unmanageable.  It sneaks up on you.  What started as a couple of beers after work to blow off steam, ended up as at least a half liter of liquor every night and more on the weekends.

Every time I tried to quit drinking, my anxiety really flared up.  The withdrawal from alcohol would leave me anxious, depressed, unable to eat, unable to sleep, and generally feeling miserable.  A few drinks would have me feeling tip-top, so I always went back.  I have come to understand that my alcoholism was actually a symptom of my anxiety - I was self-medicating with alcohol, but the problems my drinking created ultimately caused more anxiety.  A vicious cycle indeed.

Enter kava.  I have now put together about 90 days totally free from booze.  This is the longest period of time I have gone without getting drunk in probably 10 years.  I no longer obsess or think about alcohol.  I don't even drink kava on a daily basis, tonight being an example.  When I was addicted to alcohol, running out or not being able to drink before bed was not an option if I wanted to get any sleep.  I will fall asleep easily tonight and I won't wake up with a hangover and feel like shit tomorrow.

When I do drink kava (4-5 nights per week) I typically drink about 4 Tbls root to 2 cups water and I'm good to go. The thing to keep in mind is that getting "shit-faced" should not be the goal.  But I also think this is the beauty of kava - your body will tell you to stop before things get out of hand.  I don't really see kava as being a "party" drink/drug at all.  For me, it's medicine!

We hope you find the above stories interesting or even useful. Obviously treat them as what are: personal stories, not scientific studies or medical recommendations. Everyone is different and if you struggle with serious addiction, anxiety or any other mental health issues, please do talk to a qualified professional. They might be able to help you to address the root causes of your issues, not just treat symptoms. However, if you, just like many other people, are looking for a possibly more benign alternative to drinking or are interested in exploring kava for any other reason, hopefully the above stories can give you a good idea of what one might potentially expect to experience when trying to replace alcohol with kava.

Drinking Kava With/After/Before Alcohol

Finally, as promised, we wanted to briefly address one of the very common questions. Is it safe or desirable to mix kava with alcohol, or even drink alcohol shortly before or after kava?

The short answer is: No. It’s neither healthy, nor clearly desirable to drink kava with alcohol, or to even consume alcohol shortly after kava. This is primarily because kava can inhibit liver enzymes that are responsible for alcohol metabolism. In simple terms, this means that having kava may potentiate the effects (and side-effects) of alcohol (think very bad hangovers and much stronger sedation). It doesn’t mean that having a beer a couple of hours after kava will “destroy” you. Indeed, some people on the islands of the South Pacific do it (the practice of “washing down” kava with a bit of beer is known as “kale” in Vanuatu and “washdown” in Fiji). However, it’s not the safest choice to make. More importantly though, in our view, it largely defeats the purpose of drinking kava, as alcohol effects quickly push out the kava effect. The calm alertness is simply replaced or dulled by sedation or intoxication. The mixing of two substances doesn’t produce any interesting synergetic effects, it simply results in a poorer kava session, or stronger alcohol effects (and side-effects), or both.

Concluding Remarks

We hope this blog post might be of some assistance to those trying to understand the difference between kava and alcohol, and to those who are interested in using kava as a replacement for alcohol. As always, please remember that if you suffer from any serious health problem (including mental health), take any prescription medication, please do consult your doctor first to see if kava might be a good option for you in your situation. While kava is under research for various therapeutic purposes, it’s best to treat it as food/relaxing beverage a not any kind of remedy or medication. This approach will allow you to have realistic expectations considering its effects, but also perhaps encourage you to explore its rich history and traditional usage as a social lubricant and relaxing sunset beverage.