The known active ingredients in kava are phytochemicals called
kavalactones. These kavalactones give kava its stress fighting,
muscle relaxing effects. Kavalactones are responsible for kava
roots calming, anxiolytic, and in some cases euphoric
effects. The
kavalactones are concentrated in the rootstock and roots rather
than in the aerial parts of the plant which include the stems and
leaves. Each kavalactone produces a somewhat different physiologic
effect in the body and all of them working together are better than
any one of them acting alone..
