The psychoactive plant compound kava, usually served as a drink or in baked goods, can improve symptoms in chronic anxiety sufferers, Australian scientists demonstrated in a clinical trial.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a group of conditions characterized by constant worry, agitation, and trouble sleeping. Lead researcher Dr. Jerome Sarris of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne says that current antidepressant and antianxiety medications for GAD are only somewhat effective and that their use may have unintended consequences.

“Based on previous work we have recognized that plant-based medicines may be a viable treatment for patients with chronic anxiety,” Sarris said in a press release. “In this study we’ve been able to show that Kava offers a potential natural alternative for the treatment of chronic clinical anxiety. Unlike some other options, it has less risk of dependency and less potential for side effects.”

In addition to reducing anxiety in GAD patients, the researchers stumbled on another, more unexpected effect of kava use. Women in the experimental study group who took kava for six weeks reported an increase in their sex drive. However, the researchers concluded that the effect was caused by a reduction in the women’s anxiety, not because the plant is an aphrodisiac.