Britain's Medicines Control Agency (MCA) proposed on July 14 to follow Germany and ban the supply of the herbal remedy kava-kava after reports linking it to fatal liver failure.

Suppliers voluntarily withdrew the remedy, which is most often marketed as a sedative, muscle relaxant and diuretic, from the UK market last year while experts investigated its safety.

The MCA said it was now aware of 68 cases worldwide of liver problems suspected to be associated with the ingredient, which is derived from peppers native to the South Pacific islands.

"These include cases of liver failure resulting in six liver transplants and three deaths," it added in a statement.

Professor Alasdair Breckenridge, chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, said: "Our advice is that it would be prudent for anyone taking such products to stop taking them.

"There should not be any adverse effects from stopping kava-kava abruptly. If anyone taking kava-kava feels unwell or has concerns about possible liver problems they should stop taking the kava-kava and seek medical advice."

The MCA said consultation on its proposal to prohibit the supply of kava-kava products would last until 27 September 2002. Germany announced a ban last month.

The World Health Organization announced earlier this year it aims to set up a global framework within 4 years to monitor the safety of traditional and alternative medicines following a number of deaths linked to their use.

British Broadcast Corporation July 18, 2002

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Why rely on a band-aid to relieve symptoms? It appears that the herb kava kava may be causing serious liver problems. This is further proof that choosing vitamins, herbs and minerals as a substitute for addressing the cause of a problem may result in making the problem worse. I don't recommend kava kava, as there are much better options. Most of the time, judicious use of the Emotional Freedom Technique is effective, and EFT treats the cause, not just the symptoms. And EFT does not, of course, have any toxic side effects. You can start learning EFT by checking out my free EFT manual. You may also want to consider a consultation with one of the many skilled EFT therapists. Related Articles: Germany May Ban Kava Kava Kava and Valerian Work for Insomnia But There are Better Options