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Not that they will necessarily find a link. A four-week study carried out at the Duke University Medical Center this fall concluded that kava, used responsibly, poses no significant health hazard. "We didn't observe any abnormalities in liver function or any other significant side effects," says Dr. Kathryn Connor, one of the authors of the study. She points out that some of the cases reported in Europe were complicated by extraneous factors; some patients had been taking extremely high doses of kava over long periods of time, or using it with alcohol, or taking it on top of a pre-existing liver condition. (Signs of liver trouble include jaundice, nausea, light-colored stools, fatigue and stomach pain.)
So how much kava is too much? The American Botanical Council recommends that people who have liver trouble or who drink a lot of alcohol stay away from the herb. Everybody else should be careful not to take kava every day for more than four weeks straight and not to exceed the recommended dosage. In Germany, where herbal supplements are scrutinized much more closely than in America, 60 mg to 120 mg of kavalactone (the active ingredient in kava) is considered a reasonable daily dose. When you buy a kava product, be sure to check the kavalactone concentration listed on the label. And above all, try to relax.