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| Long-term use of large quantities of kava causes a distinctive pigmented, dry, scaly skin lesion, which quickly disappears when the herb is discontinued. Adverse effects of kava usage in an Australian aboriginal community resulted from extremely high doses, more than a pound per week, and some researchers speculate that large quantities of alcohol may have contributed to kava's toxicity. |
| The recommended dosage, 1 to 3 grams per day of the powdered dry root in capsules or 1 to 1-1/2 tsp. of kava tincture per day, has caused no adverse side effects in trials lasting up to eight weeks of continuous use. |
| Kelp (Laminaria spp.) and Other Sea Vegetables |
| Seaweeds, now called sea vegetables, grow all over the world but until recently were used for food only in Japan. Researchers credit seaweed and the traditional Japanese diet with that country's unusually low incidence of breast cancer, obesity, heart disease, respiratory illness, rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, thyroid deficiency, infectious diseases, constipation and other gastrointestinal problems. Modern Japanese who adopt a seaweed-free Western diet quickly develop those and other problems. |
| Kelp's major effects are nutritive, antibiotic (infection fighting) and hypotensive (blood-pressure lowering). Kelp has also been shown to reduce harmful cholesterol levels. The herb's principles include laminine and histamine. |
| Kelp has no known toxicity, even though some kelp species are known for their high arsenic content. Extensive testing has shown that the arsenic, although certainly present, is not absorbed by the body. Japanese tests on volunteers who ate kelp showed |
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