Kanna vs Kava: What Is the Difference?
Two plants, two sets of compounds, two safety profiles, and a few drinks that blend them.
Kanna vs kava comes up constantly, partly because several new drinks blend both. They are not the same thing. Kanna is a South African succulent; kava is a Pacific Island root. They contain different compounds, are proposed to act on different systems in the body, and carry different safety notes. This page compares them fairly, with sources, and without scare tactics in either direction.
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a South African succulent whose mesembrine-type alkaloids showed serotonin-transporter and PDE4 activity in lab work [1][6]. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a South Pacific pepper-family plant whose kavalactones, such as kavain, enhanced GABA-A receptors in a lab study [2][7]. Kava has a documented liver-injury advisory [3]; kanna has less human research.
Are kanna and kava the same plant?
No. They are unrelated plants from opposite sides of the world.
Kanna, also called Sceletium tortuosum (synonym Mesembryanthemum tortuosum), is a succulent endemic to South Africa. Its traditional use as a masticatory and medicine by the San and Khoikhoi people is well documented [1][8]. Kava, Piper methysticum, is native to the South Pacific and belongs to the pepper family, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Pacific Islanders have used kava beverages for thousands of years for ceremonial and medicinal purposes [2]. For more on kanna's background, see what is kanna.
Kava drinks are made from the root of the plant [7]. Kanna has traditionally been chewed, smoked or fermented rather than brewed as a drink [9].
What are the active compounds?
Kanna's alkaloids are mesembrine-type compounds; kava's active compounds are called kavalactones.
A 2021 review found 25 alkaloids in four classes in Sceletium, with the mesembrine class predominant. Mesembrine, mesembrenone and mesembrenol are the best known [1]. Kava researchers describe structurally related, fat-soluble kavalactones as responsible for kava's effects. Kavain is among the most abundant, along with dihydrokavain, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, yangonin and desmethoxyyangonin [7].
These are separate chemical families. A label that says "kavalactones" is talking about kava; a label that says "Sceletium alkaloids" or "mesembrine" is talking about kanna. Many products blend them, which is why labels matter. See our drink ranking for what each can discloses.
How are kanna and kava proposed to work?
Researchers have proposed different mechanisms for each plant, and in both cases the evidence is mostly from lab studies rather than from people.
Kanna: serotonin transporter and PDE4
In a 2011 pharmacology study, a standardized Sceletium extract blocked the serotonin transporter (IC50 4.3 ug/ml) and inhibited PDE4 (IC50 8.5 ug/ml). Mesembrine was the most potent alkaloid at the serotonin transporter, and mesembrenone acted on both targets [6]. A later cell study of a high-mesembrine extract argued that the serotonin effect might be secondary to a monoamine-releasing action, so the picture is not settled [10].
Kava: GABA-A receptors, among other proposals
A 2016 PLoS One study found that kavain positively modulated GABA-A receptors regardless of subunit makeup, with a stronger effect at one receptor type (alpha4 beta2 delta) than another. The effect was not blocked by flumazenil, so it does not appear to use the classic benzodiazepine site. The authors described this as the first experimental evidence of a direct kavalactone interaction with GABA-A receptors [7]. That is one compound in a lab setting. It does not establish how the whole plant works in a person.
The takeaway: the two plants are proposed to act on different systems. "Kanna is just kava" is wrong on the chemistry.
How do kanna and kava feel different?
Reports vary by person and product, and we cannot offer controlled head-to-head data, because none exist that we could find. What we can do is say what is documented for each.
For kanna, small placebo-controlled trials measured specific outcomes in healthy people. In a 2020 pair of studies in 20 volunteers, a single 25 mg dose of Zembrin was associated with lower self-reported anxiety before a simulated public-speaking task in one study, while the other study showed no treatment effect [11]. In a 2013 imaging study of 16 healthy participants, a single 25 mg dose reduced amygdala reactivity to fearful faces [8]. A 2020 study of 60 adults found improved performance on a reaction task under cognitive load but no change in mood or alertness scores [12]. These are small, short and Zembrin-specific, and several come from authors tied to the extract's owner.
For kava, NCCIH says it is sold as a dietary supplement and promoted in the United States for anxiety, and that kava drinks are served at kava bars [2]. NCCIH also lists digestive upset, headache and dizziness as possible side effects, and advises against combining it with sedatives such as benzodiazepines or with alcohol [2].
Brand descriptions often paint kava as more sedating or "heavy" and kanna as more "uplifting," but that is marketing language, not a finding from the studies above. Take it as anecdote.
How do the safety records differ?
Kava has a documented liver-injury concern with regulatory advisories; kanna has far less human data and a separate drug-interaction concern.
Kava
NCCIH states: "Various kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some of which have been serious or even fatal." Suspected contributors include certain cultivars or plant parts, alcohol use with kava, contamination or adulteration, individual genetic differences, and high or prolonged intake. NCCIH does not identify a single cause [2]. The FDA issued a consumer advisory on March 25, 2002 after receiving case reports of severe liver injury, and it continued to advise consumers and providers about the potential risk. CDC's MMWR noted that extra caution may be warranted for people with existing liver disease or liver-disease risk [3]. In context: the harm is described as rare, and many people use kava traditionally. But the advisory is real, and it is reasonable that some people choose to skip it.
Kanna
No comparable liver advisory turned up in what we reviewed. In the one 3-month safety trial (37 healthy adults, 8 mg or 25 mg daily), there were no apparent differences in vital signs, ECG or bloodwork versus placebo [13]. The caveats are heavy: small sample, one extract, healthy volunteers [13][8][1]. WebMD lists headache and upset stomach as common side effects, notes concern with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, antipsychotics, triptans and St. John's wort, and says it is not known whether sceletium affects pregnancy [5]. Full detail: is kanna safe.
Neither plant is approved by the FDA for any use, and the FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before sale [14]. So "less studied" and "documented concern" are two different kinds of caution, not a ranking of which is safer.
Kanna vs kava at a glance
| Kanna | Kava | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Sceletium tortuosum (Mesembryanthemum tortuosum) [1] | Piper methysticum [2] |
| Origin | South Africa [1] | South Pacific [2] |
| Key compounds | Mesembrine-type alkaloids [1] | Kavalactones, e.g. kavain [7] |
| Proposed mechanism | Serotonin transporter and PDE4 in lab studies [6] | GABA-A receptor enhancement by kavain in a lab study [7] |
| Traditional use | Chewed, smoked or fermented by San and Khoikhoi people [8][9] | Ceremonial and medicinal beverages in Pacific cultures [2] |
| Main safety flag | Possible interaction with serotonergic drugs; pregnancy data lacking [5] | Rare liver injury; avoid with alcohol and sedatives [2][3] |
| Human research | Small trials in healthy volunteers, mostly one extract [13][11][8] | See NCCIH's summary of the evidence [2] |
| FDA status | Not approved or reviewed for safety and effectiveness [5] | Consumer advisory issued 2002 [3] |
What about drinks that combine kanna and kava?
Several brands blend both plants, and the products differ a lot in how much of each they include. We found no studies of the combination, so there is no evidence on how they interact.
| Brand and product | Kanna | Kava | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstate Elevator, Pink Grapefruit Uplift Spritz (12 oz can) | 50 mg Zembrin | 20 mg kavalactones | Brand page [15] |
| Upstate Elevator, Blackberry Zinger Unwind Soda (12 oz can) | 15 mg Zembrin | 100 mg kavalactones | Brand page [16] |
| GIO, Berry Mule (12 oz can) | Listed, but amount not stated on brand page | Listed, amount not stated on brand page | Brand page [17] |
| Kanva Botanicals, Release + Relax (2 oz shot, 2 servings) | 3.75 mg Sceletium alkaloids per serving | 150 mg kavalactones | Brand page [18] |
| Utopia, Red Kava and Kanna Shot (2 oz) | 50 mg kanna extract per 1 oz serving | 75 mg kavalactones per serving | Retailer page [19] |
Two cautions when reading these. First, the kanna numbers are not apples to apples. Some are Zembrin extract, some are "alkaloids," some are unspecified extract, so milligrams do not line up across rows. Second, one brand label we reviewed warns against use with SSRIs and SNRIs [18], and both plants carry their own caution lists as above: kava with alcohol, sedatives and liver concerns [2], kanna with serotonergic medicines [5]. A blend inherits both lists.
Prices and formulas change, so verify on the brand's page. Our kanna drink ranking tracks the current numbers.
Why do some people choose kanna-only drinks?
Preference, mostly. Some people would rather avoid kava for the reasons in the safety section: the liver advisory [3], the guidance against combining it with alcohol or sedatives [2], or simply not wanting to manage two sets of cautions at once.
Others pick a single-ingredient formula so they know which plant they are responding to, or prefer the flavor of a drink without kava's earthy character. None of these is a medical judgment. Kanna-only drinks have their own cautions, including serotonergic medicines and pregnancy [5], plus wide variation in dose and extract type.
Disclosure: kannadrinks.com is published by Psilly Goose, whose Silly drink is kanna and lion's mane with no kava; it is one of the products on our ranking. We list the competitors' kava blends on the same terms.
This page is general information, not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Kanna and kava products are not intended for any disease or health condition.
References
- Olatunji TL, et al. Sceletium tortuosum: a review on its phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activities. J Ethnopharmacol 2021;280:114476. PubMed
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Kava. nccih.nih.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatic toxicity possibly associated with kava-containing products (describes the FDA consumer advisory of March 25, 2002). MMWR. cdc.gov
- de Jong M, et al. Mesembryanthemum tortuosum and Zembrin: mixed evidence from in vivo animal and clinical studies on their antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Planta Med 2026;92(8):806-823. PubMed
- WebMD. Sceletium: Uses, side effects, interactions. webmd.com
- Harvey AL, et al. Pharmacological actions of the South African medicinal and functional food plant Sceletium tortuosum and its principal alkaloids. J Ethnopharmacol 2011;137(3):1124-9. PubMed
- Chua HC, et al. Kavain, the major constituent of the anxiolytic kava extract, potentiates GABAA receptors: functional characteristics and molecular mechanism. PLoS One 2016;11(6):e0157700. PubMed Central
- Terburg D, et al. Acute effects of Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin), a dual 5-HT reuptake and PDE4 inhibitor, in the human amygdala and its connection to the hypothalamus. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013;38(13):2708-16. PubMed
- Patnala S, Kanfer I. Investigations of the phytochemical content of Sceletium tortuosum following the preparation of "kougoed" by fermentation of plant material. J Ethnopharmacol 2009. PubMed
- Coetzee DD, et al. Effects of a high-mesembrine Sceletium extract on monoamine transporters (cell study). J Ethnopharmacol 2016;177:111-6. PubMed
- Reay J, et al. Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) ameliorates experimentally induced anxiety in healthy volunteers. Hum Psychopharmacol 2020;35(6):1-7. PubMed
- Hoffman JR, et al. Ergogenic effects of 8 days of Sceletium tortuosum supplementation on mood, visual tracking, and reaction in recreationally trained men and women. J Strength Cond Res 2020;34(9):2476-81. PubMed
- Nell H, et al. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial of Extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) in healthy adults. J Altern Complement Med 2013;19(11):898-904. PubMed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA 101: Dietary supplements. fda.gov
- Upstate Elevator. Pink Grapefruit Uplift Spritz product page. upstateelevator.com
- Upstate Elevator. Blackberry Zinger Unwind Soda product page. upstateelevator.com
- GIO. Berry Mule product page. drinkgio.com
- Kanva Botanicals. Release + Relax product page. kanvabotanicals.com
- Burmans Health Shop. Utopia Red Kava and Kanna Shot (retailer listing). burmanshealthshop.com
Frequently asked questions
Is kanna the same as kava?
No. Kanna is Sceletium tortuosum, a succulent from South Africa [1]. Kava is Piper methysticum, a pepper-family plant native to the South Pacific [2]. They have different active compounds and are not related.
Which is safer, kanna or kava?
They have different safety questions. NCCIH reports kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some serious or fatal [2], and the FDA issued a consumer advisory in 2002 [3]. Kanna has no comparable liver warning, but it has far less human research and has a serotonergic drug-interaction concern [4][5]. See is kanna safe.
Can you take kanna and kava together?
Some drinks combine them, but we found no studies of the combination. Both have caution flags: kava with alcohol and sedatives [2], kanna with SSRIs and similar medicines [5]. Ask a doctor first.
Does kanna act like kava?
Not by the mechanisms researchers have proposed. Lab work points to kanna acting on the serotonin transporter and PDE4 [6], while kava's main compound kavain enhanced GABA-A receptors in a lab study [7].
Why do some drinks use only kanna?
Mostly personal preference. Some people want to avoid kava because of its liver-safety history [2][3], its sedative-interaction cautions [2], or its earthy taste. Others simply prefer a single-ingredient formula.