KAVA: THE PACIFIC ELIXIR
The Definitive Guide to Its Ethnobotany,
History, and Chemistry
by Vincent Lebot, Mark Merlin, and Lamont Lindstrom

The most comprehensive treatment of kava ever written, Kava: The Pacific Elixir summarizes the literature and research pertaining to the kava plant, which is now known to have properties that are considered comparable or superior to those of Western medicine's anti-stress prescription drugs!

Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific islands as a relaxing beverage that induces social interaction, and as a support to religious inspiration and insight. Because of its many beneficial qualities, kava is preferable to alcohol, nicotine, tranquilizers, and other substances that serve to reduce stress and improve mood. Beyond its soporific qualities, kava is also used by the Pacific islanders as an analgesic, a diuretic, and an anesthetic. There is even evidence suggesting that kava is effective in the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. Interest in kava is growing worldwide, and its consumption has now extended well beyond the Pacific Rim as new products are developed from it for pharmacological and recreational markets around the globe.

Exhaustively researched, Kava: The Pacific Elixir offers an extensive survey of this amazing plant from the perspective of the horticulturist, the ethnobotanist, and the pharmacologist. It provides compelling insights into the mysteries of the kava plant, which has been an integral component of the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. This book contains information that is invaluable to the serious scholar, yet is easily understood by the interested layman.

Vincent Lebot is a geneticist and plant breeder. Mark Merlin and Lamont Lindstrom are both professors of anthropology. Together, they have crafted the definitive work for those who wish to learn more about kava, one of nature's most wondrous plants.

1997, 6 x 9, 255 pp, illustrated, indexed, soft cover.
KAVA: THE PACIFIC ELIXIR: $19.95
(ORDER NUMBER 85256)

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