Kava vs Lithium Orotate for anxiety
Short answer: For anxiety, more users report improvement with Lithium Orotate — 98% of 80 reports, versus 93% of 196 for Kava.
Kava has 41 meta-analyses and 37 randomized trials on PubMed; Lithium Orotate has 581 and 979.
Based on 431 reports about Kava and 307 about Lithium Orotate. Not medical advice.
| Kava Supplement | Lithium Orotate Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 63%helped224 reports · high confidence | 76%helped138 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 41 / 37 | 581 / 979 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 93% (196) | 98% (80) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 80% (35) | 92% (108) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 86% (37) | 100% (16) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 67% (6) | 81% (16) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 100% (10) | — |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, liver damage, stomach issues, irritability | brain fog, emotional blunting, sexual dysfunction, drowsiness |
| Typical dose reported | 60 mg kavalactone equivalent / daily | 1-2 tablets |
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.”
Although it is yet to be determined which is more effective between lithium or lecanemab or donanemab, lithium may be more effective than aducanumab. Aducanumab, lecanemab and donanemab do not appear to differ in their effectiveness on cognitive function. Low-dose lithium may be safer than aducanumab, lecanemab and donanemab.
Ageing Res Rev, 2024 ↗“The lithium is absolutely curbing my mania... My social anxiety is 100% gone when I take lithium orotate.”
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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