Kava Reverse Tolerance? What is it and How to deal with it!

Probably the most common question we get online and at the bar….. what is this reverse tolerance thing all about? Let us explain!

Often people try Kava for the first time and do not feel its effects while others drink tiny amounts and feel all its benefits. This is the phenomenon referred to as kava reverse tolerance. Unlike other substances that your body builds up a tolerance to after repeated use making it harder and harder to achieve the same effect over time, Kava Kava root has the opposite effect! Meaning it takes less and less kava to achieve the desired effect the more you drink it! Keep in mind each person is unique and different, so regardless of reverse tolerance some people will need more and some people less to feel the effects of Kava depending on height, weight, metabolism, brain chemistry, and other external factors. Also, the time required for any substance to work in your body may differ from others.

Tolerance

As pertaining to consuming things, tolerance quite simply means the body’s ability to process, metabolize and/or resist a substance to achieve the desired effects.  This means that in order to achieve the desired effects, one needs more and more of the substance over time. The body builds an immunity against the product, thus requiring more of a particular product for you to feel the desired effects.

Reverse Tolerance

Reverse tolerance is when one needs less of something each time in order to feel its effects. This is how Kava reacts. For example, the first time you drink Kava Kava root you may not feel the effects the first time (relaxation, anti-anxiety, etc) that most people talk about, and will need much more than anticipated to achieve these results.

According to research, the body must first build up kavalactones or the chemical compounds that are responsible for the effects of Kava for one to feel its full effects. These chemical compounds are directly associated with the feeling of calmness and relaxation that comes with drinking Kava. The numerous kavalactones combine, producing diverse levels of a feel-good effect. Which is why most first-time users experience Kava reverse tolerance when the desired effects of the product are not felt the first time they try to use it.

The duration of reverse tolerance varies from one person to another since it depends on how much Kava one drinks and those other external individual factors we described earlier like body chemistry and metabolism. The good news is that Kava is completely safe and non-addictive, so you can increase your consumption the first few times to overcome this kava reverse tolerance and achieve the benefits!

Our Recommendation

We always suggest people take it slow the first time drinking kava and gradually drink more until you feel the desired effects! Once you get that you can more easily judge how much to drink moving forward. The cool thing with reverse tolerance is you need less and less of it to get that level of relaxation, anti-anxiety and other benefits you felt the first time! So go slow your first couple times and let your body speak to you! Bula!