Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea

Years ago, I came across this nice little tea at Whole Foods, when I went home and Google'd it -

I found that opiate addicts were recommending it to each other to lessen withdrawal circumstances. They said it helps with anxiety and it’s better than a lot of other natural crap out there. I tend to trust drug addicts more than “supplement gurus” at stores, simply because they have actually used the stuff they are talking about and not just reading labels like robot-monkeys-subhumans. So I picked some up for the ridiculous price Whole Foods was selling it for.

I actually came to like it. It was decent. It’s non-addictive, didn’t make me tired or unmotivated.

To be fair, for natural products, my standards are pretty low, but this stuff was decent. This will be one of the only natural products I ever recommend for anxiety. I actually find it’s better than Kava since it doesn’t knock me out and for other reasons that I’ll explain later.

I suggest buying it on Amazon, it's about half the price as in stores.

Remember- you want the Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea and not the the Yogi "Calm" tea, which is rated lower. I buy the multi-pack boxes of 6 (96 in all) that I show in the video.

Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea

(table of contents on the YouTube page)

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What can I expect from this Kava tea?

If you take it as directed (see below), you can expect this tea to “take the edge off,” is it not like Valium or Xanax where it will TOTALLY kill HIGH LEVEL of anxiety.

In my opinion, that is a good thing, not a bad thing. While benzodiazepines such as Valium certainly kill anxiety they tend to KILL your motivation, emotion, sex drive and even can make you super sleepy. Benzodiazepines are also HIGHLY addictive and you body easily gain a dependency if you use them everyday. The tolerance and dependency is easy to gain but hard to break since it involves GABA receptors that are pretty stubborn and don’t up-regulate too easily.

At that same time, don’t expect this tea to have a significant impact on reoccurring or high-moderate levels of anxiety. It is probably not going to be helpful if you have a legitimate medical problem. Still, it may be a decent addition (not alternative) to prescription anti-anxiety drugs – enabling you to take less of your medication. Ask your doctor though, though I’m “pro doing drugs” I don’t take benzodiazepines and highly discourage their use actually.

The tea tastes like cinnamon that is sweet. I like (not love) the overall taste.

How much should I take to calm me down?

The box says -

Get the Most Out of Every Cup

Bring water to boiling and steep 5 to 10 minutes. For a stronger tea, use 2 tea bags.

I’ll tell you what I do -

I put 2 to 3 tea bags in a cup. Fill it up with 12-14oz of water, put it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Maybe add Stevia Extract (it’s made with Stevia leaf) and drink it down. I’ve used as many as 4 tea bags in 14-16oz of water.

Can I get high/buzzed off this tea?

No, not really.

Sorry kids.

I’ve given it to people and sometimes claim they feel “buzzed” or “loopy,” either way – it’s not significant.

What are specific circumstances in which Yogi Kava “Stress Relief” Tea will benefit me?

I’ll give you some examples of when this stuff seems to be really beneficial. That should help you judge with situations it’s likely to be effective.

1. If I pop some Lipodrene (or other Ephedra product) and hit the gym on any stomach for 45-60 minutes, when I get home I’ll be jittery. I slam 3 tea bags right away and the anxiety will go away within 20 minutes. In fact, in this article, I recommend it JUST FOR THIS SCENARIO.
2. If I’m stressed about something that isn’t super important such as- our TV breaks and we have to get new one or our neighbours are being loud for a few hours, this tea will make it less annoying. I’m sensitive to noise (particularly BASS) and if I’m already stressed- then I want to reach for a .45 and kill all parties involves. That somewhat of a joke, but the stuff can make annoying stuff less annoying.

What are specific circumstances in which Yogi Kava “Stress Relief” Tea will not benefit me?

• If you have a medical problem or high-moderate anxiety this unlikely to help you that much.

• It will not help depression, it is not for depression.

How does this compare with Kava powder? Or Kava supplements?

First off- any Kava supplements you find on the shelf are likely to be low-quality garbage because they aren’t from fresh Kava leaves and have been processed. I’ve tried several supposedly good sources too- Kava pills, powders, paste, liquid tinctures and even straight up eaten Kava root. I’ve been underwhelmed to say the least. If Happy Hippo decides to carry Kava and I’ll try it from there because it will be the best stuff available.

It’s different than Kava supplements/powder etc. however. It won’t make you tried and it doesn’t have that stupid “mouth numbing” sensation. It’s just like drinking tea, only your anxiety goes down.

The “supplement expert” in the red-collared shirt at GNC told me that Kava is dangerous for your liver, is that true?

No.

Lets put this to rest - ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Over the years, there has been bad press regarding claims that heavy use of Kava causing liver damage. Unlike alcohol, this is just not true.

A study, led by a pharmaceutical company, conducted in Germany did Kava a great disservice by claiming that its use Kava causes liver damage. In reality, this high profile study seemed to be trying to discredit the reputation of Kava that’s been used in Polynesia for 3,000 years.

This study was ultimately challenged and disproven since the methods used were questionable to say the least.

The majority of subjects already had a history of either use and/or abuse of alcohol. Supposedly, some actually had hepatitis prior to the study. The researchers also wrongly administered the ENTIRE Kava plant, including the parts that are actually known to be poisonous. A LOT of Dietary supplement companies, ultra careful about lawsuits, wouldn’t continue make Kava supplements if they though liver damage was a legitimate concern.

They put a warning on the box that says people with liver problems should avoid Kava.

It doesn’t “cause” liver damage however.

• KonaKavaFarm discusses this “Liver Damage” claim further.

• After Kava was banned in the UK, the “British Journal of Pharmacology” re-evaluated Kava in 2007 any questioned the claims of the German pharmaceutical company's study and suggested the ban seemed unjustified.

What it comes down to it though-

If you eat the poisonous part of the Kava plant- you’ll have issues.

If you don’t – you won’t.

The poisonous part of the plant doesn’t get ANYWHERE NEAR the products you can buy, let alone this tea.

It’s just like mushrooms or fish. If you eat the poisonous part- toxicity can be an issue, if not- then no.

This is common sense, but common sense is always common.

Can this tea help with Approach Anxiety?

This varies.

If you have high levels approach anxiety- no. If you have low-moderate levels of approach anxiety- maybe. What you are doing is not the main factor, it’s how much anxiety you have doing it.

Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea’s Ten Main Ingredients:

As you know, formulas/supplements are only as good as the INGREDIENTS in them; I had Good Looking Pharmacist breakdown the main ingredients in the tea. Kava, obviously, is the main one and the only one to have any psychoactive effect.

Below is a list of the 10 main ingredients found in Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea:

1. Kava Root:

   As mentioned above, this member of the pepper family can help to relax and calm you. So, it can help you deal with the stresses of the day and help you to drift off to sleep at night.

2. Carob Pod:

     This is a flowering evergreen tree or scrub that belongs to the pea family. Native to the Mediterranean, carob is grown for its edible pods that provide protein in addition to vitamins and minerals. Carob tastes very much like chocolate. Unlike chocolate, it contains no caffeine. So, it has become a popular substitute for chocolate.

3. Indian/Jamaican Sarsaparilla Root:

     An herb that gives root beer its distinct flavor, Indian/Jamaican Sarsaparilla root has traditionally been used for its known detoxifying properties. Thus, medicinally speaking, it is used as a “spring tonic” of sorts to give one a “boost”. Containing various plant hormones, this particular root is thought to balance as well as support “heat” in our body system.

4. Ginger Root:

     This underground root (rhizome) plant has been cultivated since ancient times. Called the “wonder herb” by some, ginger root has had many uses over the centuries including aiding in digestion, promoting healthy joints and encouraging peripheral circulation of the feet and hands, promoting sweating as required as well as warming when needed.

5. Cinnamon Bark:

   Native to Sri Lanka, cinnamon bark comes from a small type of evergreen tree. This bark is a strong smelling spice that is also sweet to the taste. Cinnamon can help to energize and warm the body, encourage proper functioning of the digestive and respiratory systems, boost circulation to joints as well as aid in immune function.

6. Cardamom Seed:

     An unusually flavored herb, used a lot in cooking, this seed is also a member of the ginger family. It is deliciously flavored and, like ginger root, it is used to aid in proper respiratory and digestive functioning.

7. Stevia Leaf:

   Originating in both Central and South America, stevia leaf is an herb type comprised of approximately 240 species of the sunflower family. South Americans use it mostly as a sugar substitute as do other parts of the world, especially Japan. Of particular note, stevia is around 100 to 200 times as sweet as natural sugar.

8. Barley Malt:

   Also a natural sweetener, barley malt is made from the malting of barley grains. A unique kind of sugar, commonly known as maltose, it is produced during the grain malting process. Barley malt sweetener has a distinctively dark color and flavor.

9. Essential Oils:

   This tea contains natural oils which have been removed from plants by the liquid separation process known as distillation.

10. Natural Flavoring:

    Providing various tastes to foods, natural flavors come from things like fruit, herbs, spices, roots and other parts of plants.