AUSTIN,Texas(September30,2016)—TheAmericanBotanicalCouncil(ABC)ispleasedtoannouncetheadoptionofkava(Pipermethysticum)byAppliedFoodSciences,Inc.(AFS).TheAdopt-an-HerbProgramsupportsABC’srobustHerbMedProdatabase,aninvaluableresourceforconsumers,students,andallmembersoftheherbanddietarysupplementcommunity.ThegenerosityofAFSinadoptingkavaallowsthisvitalresourcetoremainuptodatewiththelatestresearchandpharmacologicalinformationonthisSouthPacificherb.HerbMedProisacomprehensive,interactiveonlinedatabasethatprovidesaccesstoimportantscientificandclinicalresearchdataontheusesandhealtheffectsofmorethan250herbs.“KavaisanherbwithalongethnobotanicalhistoryinPolynesia,anditproducesclinically-documentedanti-anxietybenefits,”saidMarkBlumenthal,ABC’sfounderandexecutivedirector.“ABCisdeeplygratefultoAppliedFoodSciencesforitsadoptionofkavaontheHerbMedProdatabase,whichwillallowABCtostaycurrentwithemergingresearchonkava’sbenefitsandnewinformationthathelpstoclarifypriorconcernsaboutitsrelativesafety.”“Kava’slonghistoryofuseintheSouthPacificislandsdemonstratesthatitisasafe,effective,andusefultoolwithmanyimportanthealthbenefitswhenusedintherightformandwhenthecorrectlyidentifiedcultivarsareused,”saidChrisFields,vicepresidentofscientificaffairsatAppliedFoodSciences.“AppliedFoodSciencesisfullyinvestedinworkingtogetherwithfarmers,agronomists,andtheresearchcommunitytoprovidetheentiresupplychainwiththeappropriatetoolstobringsustainable,safe,andhigh-qualitykavaingredientstothemarket,”shecontinued.“Wearedoingthisbyleadingcollaborativechangesinimplementingthesix-pointplanthathasbeendefinedbythekavaindustryworkinggroups,developingandexecutingeffectivegrowingandharvestingpractices,acquiringandimprovingmethodsforcultivaridentificationandkavalactonecontent,andinvestigatingandeducatingonoptimumstandardsandbestpracticesintheindustry.Awarenessoftheseeffortsisessential.Therefore,itissoimportantforustopartnerwithABCtohelpourindustrymakeeducated,responsiblechoicesaboutsourcingkava.”AboutKavaKava,alsoknownaskavakava,isboththecommonnameforPipermethysticumandthenameofaceremonialbeveragemadefromtherootoftheplant,whichisamemberofthepepperfamily.ItisnativetoSoutheastAsiaandtheislandsoftheSouthPacific,wherethedrink,madefromthegroundrootmaceratedinwater,hasbeenconsumedaspartofritualsforhundredsofyears.Currently,kavaisbeinginvestigatedbyresearchersforitsanxiolytic,sedative,anticonvulsive,andantispasmodicpropertiesforconditionsincludinganxiety,insomnia,andrelatedstressandnervousdisorders.TheformerlyofficialGermanCommissionEMonographsapprovedkavaforuseinconditionsofnervousanxiety,stress,andrestlessness.AnothermonographcompiledbytheEuropeanScientificCooperativeonPhytotherapy(ESCOP),agroupofmedicinalplantresearchexpertsinEurope,notedtheuseofkavapreparationsforanxiety,tension,andrestlessnessarisingfromvariouscausesofnon-psychoticorigin. AboutAppliedFoodSciences,Inc.AppliedFoodSciencesspecializesintheresearchanddevelopmentoffunctionalbotanicalingredientsforuseinfoods,beverages,andnutritionalsupplements.Thesix-pointplanthecompanyhashelpedimplementinvolveseducatingpeopleatthefarmleveltocultivateonlyNobleKavaCultivarsandaboutbestpracticesforharvestingandprocessingthem.Theplanoutlinestheimportanceofstandardizingtheconcentrationsofspecifickavalactonestoachieveoptimumsafetyandefficacyattherecommendedintake.Finally,AFSstressestheimportanceofdevelopingavalidatedlaboratorymethodfortheaccuratequantificationofkavalactones(i.e.,aclassoflactonecompoundsfoundinkava)inextracts,rootpowder,andfinishedproductformulations.MoreinformationaboutAppliedFoodScienceswillbeavailableatitsVendorbriefattheSupplySideWesttradeshowinLasVegas.Theevent,titled“TheReturnofSafeKava,”isFriday,October7,2:00-2:25p.m.(PDT).Thecompany’srecentkavawhitepaperisavailableonitswebsiteatwww.appliedfoods.com.AbouttheAmericanBotanicalCouncil’sAdopt-an-HerbProgramAppliedFoodSciencesisoneof40companiesthathavesupportedABC’seducationaleffortstocollect,organize,anddisseminatereliable,traditional,andscience-basedinformation,includingclinicalstudies,onherbs,medicinalplants,andotherbotanical-andfungal-basedingredientsthroughtheAdopt-an-Herbprogram.Thisprogramencouragescompanies,organizations,andindividualsto“adopt”oneormorespecificherbsforinclusionandongoingmaintenanceintheHerbMedProdatabase.Thisenablesconsumers,researchers,educators,media,healthpractitioners,governmentagencies,andmembersofindustry(includingretailersandothers)tohaveeasyaccesstoabstractsofthelatestscientificandclinicalpublicationsonthemanyaspects,properties,andbenefitsoftheadoptedherb.Todate,45herbshavebeenadopted.Eachadoptedherbiscontinuouslyresearchedfornewscientificarticlesandpharmacological,toxicological,andclinicalstudies,ensuringthatitsHerbMedProrecordstayscurrent.HerbMedProisavailabletoABCmembersattheAcademiclevelandhigher.Its“sister”site,HerbMed,isavailablefreeofchargetothegeneralpublic.InkeepingwiththeABC’spositionasanindependentresearchandeducationorganization,herbadoptersdonotinfluencethescientificinformationthatiscompiledfortheirrespectiveadoptedherbs.
