3 Reasons To Try This Powerful Stress-Busting Herb

May 25, 2021

We’ve been talking a lot lately about stress and we know from talking to the Eve community how much it affects us all, manifesting in both obvious and subtle ways, but what is clear is that its impact is undeniable.

The good news, though, is that there are so many ways to manage it. From physical movement and talking therapies, to meditation and breathwork, managing low-mid level stress and anxiety is possible.

Answers can also be found in nature. Our new Chill Pills are 100% Vanuatu Kava - a herbal remedy that’s been used for generations to ease the symptoms of stress and support a restful nights sleep.

Here’s what you need to know about the Pacific’s best-kept secret.

WHAT MAKES KAVA SO SPECIAL?

Not to be confused with Cava, the Spanish wine, Kava hails from Vanuatu and is a plant in the pepper family. The part we care about here is the root which is where the potency is. It’s been used in the Pacific Islands for decades as its mild sedative effect. Again, unlike the wine, it’s totally safe to take at work or before driving (in recommended doses) and makes sleep deeper and more nourishing.

Kava works because it contains an active ingredient called kavalactones. Yangonin is a really cool kavalactone: it's the one that binds with cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, and therefore acts in a similar way to CBD. This is one of the reasons why kava is so effective against anxiety.

Kavain is perhaps the most well studied and well-known kavalactone and is well known for its anxiety supporting and calming abilities, and there is some suggestive research to say that it may achieve this through relationships with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine (happy hormones) and norepinephrine (a stress hormone).

IS KAVA RIGHT FOR YOU?

Here are 3 reasons you might like to try Kava for yourself:

1. YOU’RE STRESSED

Taken regularly, kava can help to relieve stress. Sometimes taking the edge off stress makes dealing with whatever specific stressors you’re experiencing a bit more manageable. If you find that you’re stressed often, taking Kava is a natural first step to easing some of that jaw-clenching, hand-gripping emotion we like to avoid.

2. YOU EXPERIENCE ANXIETY

Often when anxiety creeps up on us (or, you know, bowls us over) even going for a walk can feel like a big ask. Having Kava on hand for when those occasions arise means you can have a natural aid to start the process of chilling out and easing off so that you can then feel ready to take other steps, like practising yoga or talking to someone.

3. YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY FALLING ASLEEP

Kava at bedtime can help to calm a chattery mind and relax you into a restorative sleep. Kavalactones cause muscles to relax so by relaxing a tense body and mind, it makes it easier for you to ease into sleep without your mind running a million miles an hour. Don’t worry about taking Kava at work when you hear this though, you need to take a higher dose of Kava for it to go from calming to sleep-inducing. Even then, it doesn’t act like a sleeping pill and knock you out, it just makes everything a little more relaxed.

MEET CHILL PILLS

Made from the highest quality, ethically grown in Vanuatu, Chill Pills are Eve’s new mellow-out capsule which address the feelings of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm that come both daily and in tune with our monthly cycles.

The quality and the ethical process by which it is grown is important for the quality and quantity of active kavalactones found in the kava kava plant. Chill Pills contain six major types of kavalactones including kavain, methysticin, yangonin; all of which perform slightly different roles.