‘Awa or kava is consumed throughout the Pacific as a drink made from the roots of the kava plant. Earlier this year, the state Department of Health declared the drink generally safe to drink – and some researchers have a hunch that ‘awa consumption could actually impart health benefits and even prevent cancers from developing.
Chengguo Xing, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida, has studied the kava plant for over 20 years. He spoke with The Conversation about his newest research into kava and tobacco smoke.
In a preliminary study that has not yet been published in a journal, he found that mice that consumed kava were protected from some of the negative effects of tobacco, including lung inflammation and even lung cancer.
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 11, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
