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Contrary to a belief held by many, kava is not an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol is produced through fermentation, whereas kava is not (Leung, 2004:94); kava is made by steeping the dried and pounded plant extracts in water in a similar manner to making a cup of tea with a tea bag. It is consumed immediately and is never left for any PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 2011, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW 159 period. Additionally, kava is an antimycotic; it kills fungal growths (Morgan 2007:6) and therefore cannot ferment as alcohol does. The anti-fungal properties of kava contribute to its medicinal value (Aalbersberg and Sotheeswaran 1991:559)

Kava‟s effect is primarily soporific: these come on slowly and subtly, and are experienced as a relaxing of the muscles and a feeling of casual contentment combined, in the initial stages, with clear-headedness that promotes conversation (Lewin 1964:223-4). It is for this reason that the drink is often referred to as a “social lubricant” (Keltner and Folkes 2005:522) with “a high socio-psychological value” (Spate 1959:51). As consumption levels rise, the active properties within kava increase in the mind and body, and consumers feel a sense “of sociability, peace, harmony, brotherhood, reduced anxiety and stress, [and] sedation” (Singh 2004:5).

Kava intoxication is so subtle that many first-time uses, especially if they have had experience with alcohol, find the sensation a disappointment. They often question the beverage‟s „intoxicant‟ properties (Pollock 1995:13). Thomson (1999:72-3) rightly comments “that most people who drink kava for the first time… expend too much effort analysing its effects on them and can be heard muttering that they don't feel a thing.” 

Research based on kava‟s pharmacological activity in the brain and body is plentiful although the full extent of that activity is not yet fully understood (Singh et al., 2004:150). What scientists have
established is that kava‟s active ingredient, kavalactones (also known as kavapyrons), works on the Central Nervous System (CNS), causing a muscle-relaxant, anticonvulsant, local anaesthetic and analgesic action (MediHerb 1994a:1-2;b:1-2). The CNS is a complex highway of neurons that carries electrical impulses throughout the brain and body. These electrical impulses instruct the body in its various functions. When one considers the CNS, it is easy to imagine a highway of nerves running the length of the body; however, this highway must be viewed more like a dashed line (-------) than a continuous one (———) (Kalat 2004:30). The space between each dash, or between each neuron, is known as the Synaptic Cleft. As the neuron ends open and close, the electrical impulses pass through the Synaptic Cleft en-route to the adjacent neuron (p.33,61).

The action of the Synaptic Cleft can be inhibited, or slowed, by a chemical critical to sleep found in the CNS called Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) (p.382). Kava is believed to increase GABA,
therefore slowing electrical impulses in the brain and body, promoting relaxation and mild anaesthesia (Bilia et al., 2001:2583). In larger doses, GABA increase also interrupts ocular balance, causing double vision, vertigo and feelings of imbalance (Garner and Klinger 1985:310)