Kava vs Kratom for anxiety
Short answer: For anxiety, users rate them about the same: 93% report improvement with Kava (196 reports) and 91% with Kratom (108 reports).
Kava has 41 meta-analyses and 37 randomized trials on PubMed; Kratom has 18 and 5.
Based on 431 reports about Kava and 568 about Kratom. Not medical advice.
| Kava Supplement | Kratom Substance | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 63%helped224 reports · high confidence | 46%helped335 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | BResearch: Moderate |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 41 / 37 | 18 / 5 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 93% (196) | 91% (108) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 80% (35) | 87% (142) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | 84% (88) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 67% (6) | 77% (44) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 86% (37) | 75% (12) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, liver damage, stomach issues, irritability | withdrawal, dependence, addiction, tolerance |
| Typical dose reported | 60 mg kavalactone equivalent / daily | 4 g / 2x daily |
Numerous interactions between herbal medicines and conventional drugs have been documented. While the significance of many interactions is uncertain, several interactions, particularly those with St John's wort, may have serious clinical consequences.
Drugs, 2009 ↗“I felt insanely relaxed, any anxiety was dropped to 0, and I could think more clearly.”
Based on our analysis, patients using <20 g of kratom/d could be initiated on opioid agonist therapy with 4/1 mg-8/2 mg buprenorphine-naloxone/d, while patients using kratom doses >40 g/d could be initiated with 12/3 mg-16/4 mg of buprenorphine-naloxone/day.
J Addict Med, 2021 ↗“Green or white Kratom powder. My productivity and overall mood have skyrocketed. I dose 4 grams once per day and it’s worked wonders.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate