What exactly IS Tudei Kava?

To date, there is no official written definition for Tudei Kava in the codexes of exporting countries such as Vanuatu, who ironically has banned the export of Tudei, without officially defining it.  Without an official definition from exporting countries, numerous definitions for Tudei exist on the internet.

The definition of Tudei Kava is an elusive one that seems to be constantly changing in online forums.  First, it was defined as a genetically unique cultivar that was high in double bonded Kavalactones.  Then it was brought to the world’s attention that Flavokavain A,B, and C levels were much higher in Tudei Kavas than Noble Kava varieties.  Due to recent research showing that Flavokavains in sufficient dosage over time present hepatotoxicity, Kava drinkers began associating the higher levels of Flavokavains in Tudei Kavas with the notion that Tudei is dangerous.  Now the sentiment is shifting from chemotypes and Flavokavain levels to a simple colormetric test determination.  Anything that turns solvents such as ethanol and acetone any color other than bright yellow, is to be considered either contaminated with Tudei, or wholly Tudei.  To date, we don’t know why the solvent turns color.

Tudei as Defined by the American Kava Association

The official AKA definition of Tudei Kava is as follows:  A genetically distinct variety of Kava that is more closely related to wild Kava (P. Witchmanii) that satisfies BOTH of the following conditions:

  1. Has a chemotype that starts with either “25” or “52”
  2. Presents a ratio of Flavokavains (A, B, and C) to Kavalactones (Y and DMY) of greater than 1.

This definition has been submitted to several peer reviewed experts in the field and has been approved for us to use as our official definition of Tudei Kava.

Testing methodology by the American Kava Association

The official AKA testing methodology for Tudei Kava utilizes the only tried and true, scientifically validated HPLC method, performed by credentialed analytical chemists, in reputable FDA registered third party laboratories, to make a proper and accurate determination of the chemotype of Kava.  We do not recognize any other methods of determination other than HPLC, at this time.

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