For centuries, Kratom leaves have been used in medicine in many countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. However, kratom has only recently found its way to the Western World. Praised for its therapeutic and soothing capabilities, kratom can be just the addition you need in your daily routine.
What Is Kratom?
Kratom, or Mitragyna Speciosa, is a tropical tree that grows to be 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It thrives in wet areas with rich humus and mineral-rich soil. Kratom originates from Southeast Asia where laborers used to chew kratom leaves to relieve fatigue and achieve stimulation effects to get them through the day.
Thanks to its main compounds — mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine — kratom has opioid-like effects, as well as stimulant and analgesic effects, depending on the kratom dose you opt for.
Three different kratom types are depending on the alkaloid composition: red, green, and white. The alkaloid content depends on various factors like climate and location. Different types of kratom can have different effects. Some are best suited for pain relief while others help in fighting depression and anxiety.
What Are the Different Types of Kratom?
The most common differentiation of kratom leaves is by the colors of their veins. It’s the veins that give the distinctive effects to kratom.
Green Vein Kratom
Green strains are the most effective for pain relief. He strains act as mild stimulants and is great for improving the mood, bringing the perfect balance of alertness and focus. A balanced dose of green kratom can prove to be great for socially shy people, as it brings feelings of cheerfulness and comfort.
White Vein Kratom
White kratom strains have energy-boosting effects. It’s a top choice for people with a busy schedule who are looking for a motivation boost. White kratom can be also effective for people fighting insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Red Vein Kratom
Red kratom strains have pain-relieving and relaxation properties. Red kratom can be a natural replacement for pain medications or muscle relaxants. Additionally, this type of kratom is used for relieving withdrawal symptoms and fighting insomnia.
What Are the Most Common Kratom Strains?
There are several popular kratom strains you can find in stores. Below, we’re looking at the similarities and differences between them.
Maeng Da Kratom
Maeng Da is one of the most powerful kratom strains. It’s the most popular among consumers looking for greater mental focus and more energy, especially when executing manual or mental tasks. Consumers of Red Maeng Da are also achieving a better mood. Green Maeng Da can relieve moderate chronic pain. On the other hand, if you opt for White Maeng Da, you can expect to feel more relaxed.
Maeng Da is mild and gives the desired effects without showing severe side effects. On the other hand, you can easily develop a tolerance after long-term usage so, over time, you might need higher doses to reach the same effect.
Bali Kratom
Bali kratom is the easiest one to find. Red Bali kratom is pretty mild and favored by many first-time users. As far as the effects go, Bali kratom can act as a stimulant. Another, less-known usage of red kratom is appetite loss. However, you need to be very careful with the dosage if you want to lose weight; otherwise, you might experience side effects like vomiting and nausea.
Borneo Kratom
As the name itself suggests, Borneo kratom leaves are grown in Borneo Island which is also the largest exporter of kratom. This type of kratom is specific because the concentration of 7-hydroxy mitragynine is very high. It’s used to treat stress and anxiety, as well as insomnia. Additionally, Borneo kratom serves as an anti-inflammatory agent and stimulant and it’s used to diminish opiate cravings.
Malay Kratom
Generally speaking, the Malay kratom improves cognitive functions and gives an energy boost. The Green Malay kratom can also be used for stimulating effects if taken in lower doses or for sedative effects when used in higher doses.
Trainwreck Kratom
The Yellow Trainwreck kratom is another unique blend created by combining the leaves of up to 11 trains. The Trainwreck might include Red Bali, Green Malay, White Maeng Da, and other popular strains. The different strains included in Trainwreck kratom provide a wider spectrum of benefits. Essentially, you can expect all known kratom effects. As with other kratom types, you can buy Yellow Trainwreck capsules or powder, depending on your preference.
What is Elephant Kratom?
Elephant Kratom is named after the shape of the kratom leaves. They are very big and store high levels of the primary alkaloids. Elephant Kratom is available in all-natural colors: red, green, and white. The yellow elephant kratom strains are extremely rare.
The high concentration of alkaloids makes the Elephant Kratom very potent and its main effect is typically associated with pleasant euphoria. So if you have been asking yourself which kratom is best for euphoria now you have the answer. Elephant Kratom provides fast lift and mood improvement with strong feelings of happiness. It’s also helpful for stress and mild pain relief. However, this isn’t the type of kratom you need for chronic pain.
How Does Kratom Make You Feel?
Most kratom consumers associate the substance with a sense of well-being and happiness which might extend to euphoria when taken in higher doses. Multiple users compare being on kratom with the sense that opiates give. Other consumers report overall body relaxation. Kratom will make you feel calm but without the drowsiness that opiates might cause. In some cases, consumers can experience sweats, nausea, and chills.
How to Take Kratom
If you want to incorporate kratom into your daily routine, there are several popular ways to do it. You can prepare tea, buy kratom in the form of capsules, or make kratom extract at home, for example.
How to Prepare Kratom Tea?
If you have a habit to drink coffee in the morning, you should consider replacing it with a cup of kratom tea. To prepare tea you should boil the kratom powder with water and let it sit. Strain the liquid and drink it. Keep in mind, however, that the hot water will reduce the alkaloids; therefore, the effect will be weaker. If you want to drink kratom tea without weakening its effects, consider preparing a cold brew.
Kratom has a strong, earthy flavor but you can add some ingredients that will significantly improve its taste. Try it with regular or almond milk, honey, syrup, sugar, or lemon juice.
How to Take Kratom Capsules?
If you opt for kratom capsules, you’ll successfully bypass the strong and not-so-tasty flavor of kratom. Just take the pill with a glass of water. Capsules retain the concentration of the alkaloids which means you’ll feel the full potency of kratom. However, capsules might take a bit longer to kick in — approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
How to Make Kratom Extract?
Kratom extract is a highly-concentrated form of alkaloids distilled from kratom leaves or powder. Extracts are rare to find and usually pricier so you might want to learn how to prepare kratom extract at home. There are three main forms of kratom extracts — extract powder, tincture, and resin. They are very potent and you’ll need only a small amount to feel the known kratom effects.
To prepare kratom extract you’ll need kratom powder or leaves, water or ethanol or ethyl alcohol, and citric acid or lemon juice. Next, you should put the kratom powder and add alcohol in a 1:4 ratio. Add the citric acid until the pH strips show 4. Optionally, you can add glycerin. Mix everything and let it sit for a week in a jar in a cool area. Next, you should strain the liquid and then leave it to evaporate before you pour the kratom tincture into bottles.
How to Toss and Wash Kratom?
This is a simple way to take kratom. You need to simply put the powder in your mouth and wash it with a great amount of water. When taken this way, the effects of kratom are almost immediate. However, the taste is very strong so it’s not the preferred method for everyone.
How to Prepare a Kratom Smoothie?
Another popular way to take kratom is to add it to your smoothie. Just add the preferred amount of kratom powder in your favorite drink and enjoy.
How Long Does Kratom Take to Kick In?
Kratom can take effect after 5-15 minutes of intake. It’ll remain for up to 5 hours.
How Addictive is Kratom?
Given the pleasant feelings, kratom provides, prolonged use can lead to habituation. However, negative experiences like dependency and addiction are rarely reported by users.
What is Kratom Withdrawal?
Kratom withdrawal happens when you discontinue using kratom after using it for a prolonged-time period. Typical symptoms include sleeping disorder, hot flashes, chills, muscle cramps, tension, agitation, anger, and decreased appetite. The manifestation of symptoms will depend on the dosage and the length of time kratom was regularly used.
How Long Does Kratom Withdrawal Last?
Kratom withdrawal symptoms might appear within 12 hours of the last usage and last between 5 and 7 days.
How Does Kratom Show on a Drug Test?
Kratom doesn’t produce positive results on a drug test because the alkaloids it contains are different from the ones found in opiates. Additionally, specific tests for detecting kratom in the system rarely happen as they are quite expensive.
Could Kratom Cause a False Positive?
Many substances can show a false positive on a test but kratom isn’t one of them.
How to Dose Kratom?
The right kratom dose depends on the individual. It’s advisable to start with low doses and see how your body reacts. Тhen, you can moderately increase the dose and come to the exact dose that feels best for you.
Low to moderate dosage is usually between 1 and 5 grams. This dose is associated with increased focus and energy.
A 5 to 15 grams dose is considered high and you should be very cautious with it. With this dosage, you can expect a kratom high feeling similar to that of opioids, as well as greater pain relief. However, this dosage comes with an increased risk of side effects.
How Often Can I Take Kratom?
A study with over 8,000 people who used kratom reported that taking a small to moderate dose of up to 5 grams up to three times a day has given them the best results. Again, you should start with a small dose and gradually increase it until you achieve the effect you need.
Is Kratom Illegal?
Despite its many benefits, kratom is recognized as an addictive drug in several parts of the world and is deemed illegal. Furthermore, the FDA hasn’t found official evidence of the therapeutic benefits of kratom which is another reason to discard it as a medicinal product.
Furthermore, some researches show that there’s a broad spectrum of side effects like nausea, sweating, vomiting, itching, chills, and loss of appetite. More serious side effects can occur as a result of long-term kratom use, including severe weight loss, skin discoloration, constipation, kidney damage, and liver damage.
Based on these facts, some states have banned the use of kratom.
Where Is Kratom Illegal?
Currently, kratom is banned on a Federal level in the US. However, some states, including Alabama, Rhode Island, Indiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Vermont have banned kratom. In early 2020, several kratom bans on state levels were defeated. These include Maryland and South Dakota.
As far as Europe is concerned, numerous countries have banned kratom. Some of these include Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Australia and New Zealand also consider kratom illegal.
Kratom is also illegal in several countries where the kratom tree grows like Malaysia and Thailand. The plant is also banned in Indonesia but people can still export kratom at least until 2022.
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