Your friends keep bragging to you about the incredible benefits of Kratom powder. Still, you want more information before you buy it. You want to know where it’s from, how it’s manufactured, and the best places to buy it. We have answers to these questions and more to help make your decision to purchase Kratom powder easily.
What is Kratom Powder?
Kratom powder is the ground up leaves of the Mitragyna Speciosa tree, an evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia. For centuries people in Southeast Asia have chewed the leaves, brewed them as tea, and used them topically as an anesthetic. Many claimed that chewing the leaves helped them work longer days with less fatigue.
Most Kratom comes from the island of Borneo. Borneo contains three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Indonesia leads the Kratom producers, exporting the vast majority of the world’s Kratom. Kratom farms employ tens of thousands of people in Southeast Asia.
Kratom farms also exist in Thailand and Bali. Many users rave about their experience with strains from these countries.
What Are Alkaloids?
Alkaloids are compounds, often found in plants, that can produce psychoactive or other beneficial effects in humans. The most widely known and used alkaloid is caffeine. Coffee and Kratom belong to the same plant family, although they do not share common alkaloids. However, users of both report energy boosts while using the product.
7-hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine receive the credit for being the alkaloids producing the effects reported by users. Studies report that 7-hydroxymitragynine produces a more potent analgesic effect than morphine, although proper dosing remains unknown. It may be the source of Kratom user’s claimed success in using reducing pain.
Mitragynine reportedly pairs with opioid receptors in the brain. This may account for users reporting that Kratom helps withdrawals from opioid addiction. It may also explain the claims that some strains of Kratom produce euphoric effects.
Wait, What’s A Strain? Are There Different Kratom Powders?
Kratom leaves develop differently depending on where they are harvested and manufactured. Some growers let the leaves mature for a longer time period, which reportedly makes them more potent. The differences in harvesting and curing produce different strains of Kratom. Three main strains of Kratom exist. All come in powder form.
White Vein Kratom
White Vein Kratom uses leaves harvested while in the early stages of development. At harvest, the leaf’s veins are white. The leaves are dried in complete darkness before manufacture. Users report that White Vein Kratom boosts energy and stimulates your mood. Some find that it makes them sleepy.
Red Vein Kratom
Leaves of Red Vein Kratom are dried in direct sunlight or using special ultraviolet lighting. Special fermentation procedures can produce different varieties of Red Vein Kratom. Users report that Red Vein Kratom produces a calming effect. Others find that it helps relieve insomnia.
Green Vein Kratom
Green Vein Kratom results from leaves harvested at maturity. The extra growing time allows the veins of the leaves to turn a greenish color before harvesting. Green Vein Kratom begins curing in the dark, air-conditioned rooms before moving outside to the sunlight to finish. Many users find that Green Vein Kratom increases alertness and the ability to focus. Others report that it decreases social anxiety.
Kratom receives different names depending on where it is made. For instance, White Borneo Kratom indicates a White Vein Kratom grown on the island of Borneo. White Vein Indo Kratom describes a strain grown in Indonesia. Because Indonesia is partly contained within Borneo, these two may describe the same strain.
Other strains come from Bali, Thailand, and Malaysia. Strains from Thailand are called Maeng Da Kratom. Malaysian strains possess the identifier, Malay.
Users report different experiences with the same strain. While the description of effects, broadly stated, remain the same with most users of the strain, users report a wide range of experiences within each strain. It appears that what effects occur varies by individual.
Each strain has a different taste. Users disagree on which strain has the best taste and provides the best experience, just as they disagree on the differences in food or drink brands. In fact, the descriptions of taste within each strain appear to vary more than the variations of experiences within each strain.
Users find some strains produce effects more quickly. In contrast, they find that other strains have a longer time between ingestion and the onset of effects. As with taste, the differences in the effects and speed of different strains appear to depend on the user.
How Should I Take Kratom Powder?
Several methods exist for ingesting Kratom powder, but these are the most popular.
Toss and Wash
Simply toss the Kratom in the back of your throat and wash it down with liquid. This is the quickest and simplest way to deliver Kratom to your system, and one many experienced users swear by.
Smoothies And Drinks
Add Kratom to a smoothie just as you would add protein powder. Add your other ingredients, blend, and enjoy! You can also add Kratom to water and other warm liquids, stirring it in as you would any other powder.
Brew as a tea
Although making tea with powder requires more finesse than using tea leaves, some users do enjoy Kratom tea. Others find it lessens Kratom effects, but, if you enjoy tea, you should give this method a try.
Capsules
Some Kratom powder comes in capsules. Capsules are easy to take but can reduce the enjoyment of taking Kratom by eliminating the taste.
I Know What My Friends Say, But What Are Kratom’s Effects?
Very little scientific research exists on Kratom. Reports of its effects mainly come from user reports and lack scientific validation. Users claim that different strains produce different effects, meaning that you should research strains carefully to ensure that the strain you buy has the effect you desire.
Users do seem to agree on the prevalence of certain effects. For example, they find that some strains produce more of a euphoric effect than other strains. They claim that some provide more pain relief than others. While there may be a weak consensus on the effects of some of these strains, individuals do disagree as to the extent and potency of the effects of individual strains.
The following are common effects users associate with Kratom:
- Energy boost
- Pain Relief
- Euphoric Effect
- Calming sensation
Kratom is not FDA regulated. These effects have not been evaluated by the government, nor are they promised or guaranteed. The reported effects are derived from user reports of their experience while using Kratom. These descriptions are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The description of these effects is informational only and not intended as medical advice.
How Much Kratom Should I take? My Friends All Report Different Doses
The fact that they take different doses makes sense. They possess different body chemistries, different heights, and different weights. All of these factors impact how much Kratom you should take in a dose. Therefore, one size fits all dosage recommendations that do not exist.
The best recommendation is to start small. You can add to a dose if you do not feel effects. Starting small allows you to find the optimal dose for you. If you start with too large a dose, you cannot determine if using a smaller quantity provides sufficient effects. You may use more product than you need, which wastes money.
Where Should I Buy Kratom Powder?
We recommend buying Kratom from sellers offering Kratom from manufacturers approved by the American Kratom Association. Make sure that any Kratom you buy underwent lab tests from a certified laboratory. The tests should include microbial tests, heavy metal tests, and alkaloid tests. This ensures the purity of the sample and provides you with information at the alkaloid content of your purchase. Your Kratom should arrive with a batch number to allow you to make sure you have the correct lab report.
The bestsellers, the ones with lab reports and expertise with Kratom, exist online. The Golden Monk provides the most information and can assist a new user the most with a kratom purchase. Be sure to ask questions and read any reviews left on the site to obtain the best possible information before purchasing.
Do not purchase your Kratom from local head shops or smoke shops. Those shops may not have staff trained to help you find the right Kratom strain for your needs. The presence of Kratom in those stores may indicate only an owner trying to capitalize on Kratom’s rising popularity.
Final Thoughts
The subreddit r/kratom has a dedicated community of users who discuss their experiences with Kratom. They comment on the best vendors, their experience with different strains, and the best doses for each strain. While this is no substitute for medical advice or even the assistance of a reputable vendor, it does provide a starting point for researching any questions you may have about Kratom.
Millions of Americans enjoy Kratom. While each has slightly different reasons for using Kratom, all believe that it enhances their life in some form. You should find out what your friends are raving about soon!