Health Canada, Jan 9, 2002
2002-02
January 16, 2002
Advisory
Health Canada is advising
consumers not to use any products containing kava
OTTAWA - Health Canada is advising consumers not to use
any products that contain the herbal ingredient kava (also known as
kava-kava), with or without drug identification numbers (DINs), in
light of recent reports of liver toxicity related to use of kava
products in Europe. Kava is found in herbal and homeopathic
preparations, and marketed to treat anxiety, nervousness, insomnia,
pain and muscle tension. It may also be found as an ingredient in
food products. It is widely used in Europe, and has become
increasingly used in Canada.
There have been at least 24 reports of liver toxicity associated
with the use of kava products internationally, including one
reported death, and several cases which required liver
transplantation. However, no cases of liver toxicity have been
reported in Canada. Like Health Canada, other international
regulatory agencies (Germany, France, Switzerland, U.K., U.S.A.) are
taking steps to prevent liver-related risks associated with the use
of kava-containing products.
As a result of these international reports, Health Canada is now
reviewing the safety and effectiveness of kava. To ensure the safety
and health of consumers in the interim, Health Canada is issuing
this advisory, advising consumers not to use any products which
contain kava until the safety assessment can be completed. Once the
safety assessment is completed, and all international safety data
are analyzed, Health Canada will communicate the results to the
public, and take further action if required.
Consumers are advised to check the labels of any herbal products
for the presence of kava, and to discontinue use of any product
labelled to contain kava.
Kava may be identified by the following names:
- kava
- kava kava
- kava-kava
- kava root
- kava-kava root
- kavain
- kava pepper
- kavapipar
- kawa
- kawa kawa
- kawa pepper
- kawapfeffer
- maori kava
- rhizoma di kava-kava
|
- ava
- ava pepper
- ava root
- awa
- gea
- gi
- intoxicating pepper
- intoxicating
- long pepper
- kao
- Piper methysticum
- Macropiper Latifolium
- Piper inebrians
|
- Malohu
- maluk
- meruk
- milik
- kew
- Rauschpfeffer
- sakau
- tonga
- Wurzelstock
- yagona
- yangona
- yaqona
- yongona
|
|
Consumers are also advised to consult with their health
care practitioner if they have experienced any adverse effects
from taking products containing kava. The following symptoms
may be associated with liver problems:
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
- brown urine
- nausea
- vomiting
- unusual tiredness
- weakness
- stomach or abdominal pain, and /or
- loss of appetite.
Additionally, health care professionals and practitioners
of alternative medicine are being asked to report any cases of
liver toxicity in association with use of kava-containing
products. |
The text in this article was prepared by Health Canada.