Drinks with added adaptogens or other ingredients that claim to benefit well-being are growing in popularity. But it's not always clear if they're effective.
One such category of beverages is those that include kava, a drink that is commonly consumed across the Pacific, from Hawaii to the Solomon Islands. It's made from the root of the kava plant, known by the scientific name Piper methysticum, and is supposed to help you relax and improve your mood.
It's those effects that caught the attention of some startup founders. Several brands of kava beverages have popped up over the last several years, often marketing themselves as alternatives to alcohol.
But kava has also been flagged by health authorities, including the National Institutes of Health, as having negative effects for some people, including liver damage.
Having grown up in Hawaii and been an occasional kava drinker during college, these brands caught my eye. And, knowing that mainlanders often get things wrong about food from Hawaii — and tons of other cultures, for that matter — I was curious to see whether these beverages were as effective as the kava you can find in Hawaii.
So, I decided to buy some of these canned versions of kava to try them. I picked Leilo and Mitra-9, two of the most widely-distributed kava brands that come in ready-to-drink forms. I also recruited my wife and a couple of friends, all of whom had also grown up in Hawaii and tried kava there, to provide their perspectives.