What are Kavalactones?

Kavalactones are the group of naturally occurring compounds found in the root of the kava plant. They are what kava drinkers and researchers refer to when they talk about a kava's chemotype.

The six principal kavalactones

Eighteen kavalactones have been identified, but six account for the great majority of the content in the root:

1. Demethoxyyangonin
2. Dihydrokavain
3. Yangonin
4. Kavain
5. Dihydromethysticin
6. Methysticin

Chemotype

A kava's chemotype is written as a six-digit sequence showing the order of those six kavalactones by concentration, from highest to lowest. A kava described as 4-2-6-3-5-1 has kavain as its most abundant kavalactone, then dihydrokavain, and so on.

Growers and drinkers in the Pacific have selected cultivars on these characteristics for centuries, long before there was a laboratory method for measuring them. Different islands and different cultivars produce consistently different chemotypes, which is part of why kava from Kadavu drinks differently to kava from Savusavu.

Where kavalactones sit in the root

Kavalactone content is not evenly distributed through the plant. It is highest in the lateral roots — waka — and lower in the basal stump, or lewena. This is the practical reason waka has always been the more valued grade, and why kava blended with lewena is cheaper.

Root age matters too. Kava is generally harvested at three to five years, and younger plants have not developed the same profile.

Preparation

Kavalactones are poorly soluble in water, which is why kava is kneaded in a cloth rather than stirred into a cup. The kneading is what draws them out of the ground root and into the water, and it is why a properly worked bowl looks quite different to a poorly worked one.

See our preparation guide.

Kava is sold for use as a food. Use in moderation. May cause drowsiness — do not drive or operate machinery after drinking kava. Do not consume with alcohol. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a liver condition. If you have any health concerns, speak with a qualified health practitioner.