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Kava kava alternatives
I am not sure what to take now that Kava Kava has been taken off the market. I have always suffered from bad nerves and anxiety, which seems to run in the family. My mother had five nervous breakdowns - so unless I take steps now, I am expecting to have one too.
Every spring, I have sat in my Chilterns garden admiring the stunning blossoms of my magnolia tree and wondered what medicinal properties this wonderful plant would have. The answer landed on my desk just a few weeks ago with details of a brand new American supplement called Relora. Made from Magnolia extract, it is designed to help relieve mild anxiety, calm nerves, ward off stress and, as a welcome side-effect, it works in the body to boost fat metabolism and will thus help you lose weight too.
In early trials, 50 volunteers were given 200mg of Relora, three times a day for two weeks. Of these, 78% reported increased feelings of wellbeing and relaxation without feeling drowsy or less alert. More than 70% of the participants said they were sleeping better and in further trials undertaken to measure levels of stress hormones in patients taking Relora, it was found these levels of cortisol, for example, dropped by 37% after two weeks.
The arrival of this new formulation is timely because, as you say, Kava Kava has disappeared from the health shelves. There is not an official ban on this calming herb but most stores have voluntarily withdrawn it until German health officials publish the findings of their investigation into claims it can cause liver toxicity in users. In Germany, there were 29 cases of such toxicity identified but what was not reported was that in 28 of these 29 cases, users were taking other supplements or medication too. In other words, there was a high risk of interaction and thus it would be unscientific (and untrue) to blame the Kava kava solely for the liver damage.
*Relora is being sold in the UK by Victoria Health (0800-413596). 60 capsules cost £17.95. Take three a day.