Although kava is best known as an herb for anxiety, the root of the kava plant has also been shown to block TNF. In a a study where mice were exposed to okadaic acid, kava compounds inhibited TNF release with a potency equivalent to the Green Tea compound EGCG. PMID:12809361 (cache)

Okadaic acid seems to work more through stimulating the MAPK p38 Pathway although it may also stimulate the NF-Kappa pathway PMID:15727425 (cache). This suggests that it may be of value in reducing the cytokine storm associated with H5N1 infection, although it is not conclusive.

The use of Kava has also been linked to lower rates of cancer in Fiji and other Polynesian islands with intact cultures. In areas where aboriginal cultures have collapsed, Kava is associated with increased rates of cancer, but kava use there is also associated with high rates of alcoholism and solvent abuse (inhaling gasoline or other hydrocarbons).

Kava was associated with a small number of fatal liver reactions in Europe; researchers at the University of Hawaii have since conducted research showing that the extracts linked to the liver failure were made using the innexpensive stems of the kava plant (traditional usage involves only the roots). The Hawaii research showed that the kava stems contain a compound that is a powerful liver toxin, while the root does not. Honolulu Newspaper (cache)

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