When you first heard the name kratom your first question was most likely What is Kratom? Well, here we will go into details on every aspect of the plant.

With this post, you will have certainty to know exactly what to say when someone asks “What is Kratom?”. Simply refer them to this page or, if you are great at holding knowledge, tell them about it.

I give you step by step information to answer your the question ” What is Kratom?”

I will begin by giving you some background on the plant’s nature to give you a true scope of What kratom is.

What is Kratom?

Its true name is Mitragyna speciosa and it is a native tree to South-east Asia.  It can grow higher than 55 feet and as wide as 15 feet in circumference. There are other terms for kratom that you can find kratom is slightly psychoactive but remains in the coffee family.

Kratom has been in nature since before man new it existed. It had to inevitably be discovered, tried and experimented on.

Something to keep in mind is the fact that the media only shows us what it wants to/ the “best” stories that they can. It is not because you don’t here about it in the news that it does not exist.

The Kratom Plant was discovered by a Dutch botanist. He first tried the plant himself and found that the leaves of the tree had amazing potential in helping him feel Happy, Energized, Motivated, and Relaxed.

In the early discoveries of the kratom leaf, the botanist Pieter Korthals who discovered kratom in 1839 (Wikipedia) shared his discoveries with the native people of the southeast Asian countries. Kratom became an all around healer for many folks of the past.

Kratom was, in fact, helping them with everything from mental stress to pain from injuries. The natives of South East Asia are known to also pick the leaves and chew them.

I would imagine when Kratom was first discovered its alkaloid level incredibly potent due to the lack of picking the tree.

Nobody had touched them and the plant was getting older and more mature. Allowing them to produce more alkaloid levels to their leaves.

The age of the tree and leaf definitely play a part in the potency of the kratom alkaloids.

The natives would use this as a “pick me up” similar to how we use coffee today.

Some of the media have been portraying kratom in an awful way. These are the facts on kratom and this way you can make an informed decision.

Not by pulling emotional strings and making you fear this plant that could help you if you are a person who needs it.

What is kratom

Also View – How to use Kratom – Different Methods for a guide on using the powder.

Kratom inside the body

What is kratom.

The kratom leaf is what is used by kratom users to get the kratom effect. Today, we don’t need to chew on leaves, we can simply Buy Kratom powder and easily ingest it.

The historic ways of ingesting kratom into your body would be quite gruesome considering the taste of the kratom powder.

Kratom leaf contains alkaloids which have shown to be beneficial to a wide variety of individuals.

Mitragynine is the main active alkaloid and a mu-opioid receptor agonist; which means that there’s a body-mind response when the alkaloid binds to the mu-opioid receptor.

What is kratom

View Kratom effects: What to Expect

The mu opioid receptor in the brain is what agonists such as morphine bind to.

Kratom binds to the mu-delta receptors and is great for people with opiate withdrawals.

What is kratom

Kratom binds to the mu -delta receptor mimicking the function of the previous opiate agonist allowing your body to recover and get clean from the previously toxic state.

Also, 7-hydroxymitragynine is another major alkaloid found in the leaf which is actually stronger than our well-known prescription drug morphine, which is tremendously helpful for people suffering pain and prefers a natural way to get through it.

Is Kratom a new Drug Fad?

If you are a person of conservative nature than maybe this question has come up countless times when the word “Kratom” has been mentioned.

I would like to invite you to understand that kratom is NOT heroin or any opiate of that nature. Kratom simply BINDS to the same receptors as opiates do and tend to resemble (Not an exact copy) of an opiate.

Kratom should not be viewed as a drug although some of the effects may sound drug like, this plant is in the coffee family. The kratom effects that are being used by people who need this plant are truly beneficial.What is kratom

In fact, many people are turning to kratom because they cannot go on living just using the normal prescription drugs.

As you already know, most prescription drugs have opiates in them. Opiates feel amazing in the beginning but come at a price.

It is said that the worst feeling in the world is an opiate withdrawal, and the worst part is, they do not take long to form. Once it is formed, quitting means facing the physical and mental pain that opiate withdrawals will bring and staying on course means staying normal (since the tolerance would naturally go up after taking a drug over and over)

It is important to buy kratom from a reputable vendor because it is crucial to be taking something that is healthy for our bodies.What is kratom. A lot can be said from someone who is promoting something for purely personal gain.

There are people however, that may promote kratom as a legal drug, promoting that you can get a legal high. This is not the way you want to be introduced to the world of kratom nor should you support that company or business. This will only endanger the plant’s reputation.What is kratom.

Kratom is in the coffee family and definitely not in the narcotics family. Even though the plant has psychoactive ingredients, this should not be confused as to something that will make you completely lose motor skills. I have personally been taking kratom powder only and have never felt any negative effects less a headache when taken too much. *Note: Some Kratom Strains May Cause Nausea So always take a new strain slow

Kratom can also be taken every day for people who will need the continued dosage in their bodies. View the Taking Kratom Everyday for more on this.

Different Kratom Origins

Kratom is usually labeled from the country in which it originated and defined by the color of the stem and veins of the leaf. For Example:

• White Vein Kratom –    A white stem kratom is the fastest strain that you can find. It has a   motivating energetic effect that can be used for many different things including working out.
• Green Kratom –   A green stem will have a “moderate” effect meaning that you will have benefits of having effects of both fast and slow strains.
• Red Kratom – A Red strain will give you a relaxing effect that can be VERY nice when unwinding at the end of the day. A good red strain will induce small amounts of euphoria that will allow you to relax and meditate to a different extent. This strain is also great for many different things including insomnia and pain relief.
• Maeng Da Kratom – Said to be the best kratom strain on this earth. Its alkaloids are stronger than the normal leaves and this proves to be true in the felt effects of a Maeng Da strain. To see the detailed difference, viewMaeng Da Kratom – What’s the Difference?

4 most popular spoken strains

Thailand- Malaysia- Borneo- Indonesian

Thai leaves tend to be more energetic (fast) such as the popular Maeng da.

Malaysian leaves are less energetic (moderate) such as super green Malay

“Bali” (Borneo) leaves are more sedative(slow) such as Bali or Borneo,

Indonesian leaves are energetic, moderate or sedative making it a triple threat.

What is Kratom used for, and by Who?

Kratom can be used by absolutely anybody.

Most people that tend to suffer from anxiety, depression, lack of focus and procrastination find that kratom is an amazing alternative to the traditional ways of soothing these symptoms aka through a prescription drug received from your trusty doctor.

Kratom restores mental alertness as well and is also a painkiller at higher doses as it becomes a sedative. Kratom also is an amazing help to those who are suffering from opiate addiction for whatever reason.

Opiates are found in a lot of pain medication today and unfortunately, opiate receptors in the brain multiply requiring a physical need.

Kratom comes in with its alkaloids and becomes an opiate receptor agonist so that your brain thinks it still receiving opiates but in fact, it is merely an alkaloid of kratom.

Check out kratom and pain for more on this

Also, kratom is a lot easier to stop than any opiate, making it also a very sought after remedy for those in opiate recovery.

View Disclaimer

It is an alternative to the vastly prescribed drugs that are being pushed to you or to sufferers of any of these disorders.

As we all know, or at least should know, prescription drugs are slowly killing our society and luckily, people are finding alternatives rather than suffering nasty side effects.

Why Kratom?

Since the dawn of time man has been using plants to research what they have in store for us. Nature is known to produce extravagant things and I think, subconsciously, we all know this.

Opium: For instance, opium is derived from the poppy plant. The poppy seed is what opium comes from which essentially can be made into opiates or opioids.

Wikipedia description for opium is extremely well said and you would benefit in reading it if you have questions about opium.

With this being said, yes, opium is from the poppy seed that would make it a plant and not necessarily a chemical. Well, this is where human beings step in and experiment. Having a bunch of poppy seeds does not necessarily mean that you have opium.

There are certain steps that man had to take in order to DERIVE (Dictionary Definition) opium from that seed.

Marijuana: The same can be said about marijuana. Although marijuana is now showing to be a MAJOR health benefit in people needing it, the problem with people saying “How can it be dangerous, its just a plant”.

Well, the thing about it is, you are lighting the bud on fire and inhaling SMOKE (Dictionary Definition) which in turn is used to bring out the THC.

Hence THC being derived from marijuana. However, please do not take this the wrong way, I am not saying marijuana and opium are the same things, at all.

Kratom: This brings me to Kratom. Kratom is a tree that grows naturally on the earth like the former two plants just mentioned, HOWEVER, kratom goes through no derivative process.

It simply gets cut off of the tree, ground into powder and then the stem and vein are removed for better quality powder. THIS is ESPECIALLY important to consider when speaking of kratom as a Drug.

Although kratom is a psychoactive plant, it is not derived from anything hence making it quite a lot safer than the former two plants.

The reason that kratom has not had bad press until now should give you a different mindset than the one that the media has tried to portray.

There have been no consequences as of yet that link Directly to kratom use alone.

Natives of where the mitragyna speciosa (kratom) grows naturally, have been chewing on the leaves for centuries. The possible threat kratom may hold is to be less profiting for the opium industry to keep flourishing.

In turn, it may even be a “secret” that has been held from us for a very long time.

Again I am not saying, kratom is the answer for you personally, but kratom is known to help thousands, maybe millions of people all over the world.

I personally am very grateful that I have found this plant to know that IF anything grave were to happen *knock on wood* I would be one to turn to kratom before the other two just for these simple reasons:

• Kratom is natural, not derived simply ground
• It is NOT smoked
• No KNOWN grave side effects from the natives using it for centuries

View kratom dangers for more

The prescription pills being prescribed today have a list of side effects that in most cases surpass the amount of good that they give.

The only side effect that I have personally ever encountered was nausea due to taking to much green powder than my body could handle. Much like alcohol, if you overdue you throw it up.

Your body senses that you have burned too much kratom and you must evacuate, also at high intake level it can make you feel drowsy and lethargic.

This is a great way to see people, like myself, who are speaking on pure experience and not hear say and fear.

I found that Shawn at Kratom Info is a blogger that has experience on kratom and he has a great explanation about “Is Kratom Safe“. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

There are three different types of Kratom

The following is a way to express how the effects would feel. Although everyone is different, people across the internet seem to agree with these concepts.

You will find that there are three different types of kratom these will be:

Fast,

Slow

Moderate

All this simply means, is basically how it sounds:

Fast: You have a stimulating sensation, more alert, focused and “on the ball”.

Slow:  Gives the sensation of mellowness and relaxation\sense of well-being. (not to be confused with TIREDNESS)

Moderate: Is directly in the middle of a stimulating\sense of well-being sensation. It varies from every person, however.

Kratom Preparation – Traditional and Modern Methods

Throughout the thousands of years kratom has been used, preparation methods have remained relatively the same; however, as western society has interacted with this plant, there have been some unique additions —  recipes and methods to fit our unique needs.

The Kratom Quid

The quid is the original method of kratom use for Southeast Asian cultures, especially Thailand. The quid method of use involves taking fresh kratom leaves (a rare commodity in the western world), removing the stems and veins in one quick motion, bundling the kratom and chewing it while holding the saliva and chewed leaf material in their mouth.

The quid works through mostly sublingual methods, however, the swallowed portion also has a considerable effect.

Toss and Wash Method

One of the most common kratom preparation methods, if it could be called preparation at all, is the toss ‘n’ wash. This method is typically done by:

• Putting water (or other liquid) in the mouth
• Adding desired kratom dose to this water
• Submerging and mixing the kratom/water mixture within the mouth to avoid dry particles getting caught in the mouth and throat
• Taking another gulp of water while simultaneously swallowing the mixture
• Chasing with more water to get down any debris

Kratom Tea

This is another very common preparation method, both in the west and east. Learning how to make kratom tea is fairly simple:

• Add water to pot (3-10 ounces)
• Add desired kratom dose
• Simmer for 15 – 45 minutes (20 minutes typically suffices)
• Optional: strain powder

Tea is considered effective by many because of the quick onset of effects; however, by straining out the powder, one may lose the full alkaloid spectrum of the plain leaf, reducing some medicinal potentials.

Tea Tips

• Adding water to kratom powder and freezing prior to making tea can increase the amount of alkaloids absorbed
• Adding lemon juice, or small amounts of citric acid can also increase amount of alkaloids absorbed
• One can salvage the strained powder from tea and reuse it to ensure no alkaloids are wasted

Kratom Tea Recipes

Because some are more sensitive to the bitter taste of kratom tea, many tea recipes have been developed. One of the most effective we have seen for masking the taste of kratom is to mix it with a flavoring, or mixture.

Speciosa Chai

One of the most effective kratom recipes we have found is what we have heard called “Speciosa Chai”. This method is very simple and is composed of a few simple steps:

• Condense kratom tea to 3-4 ounces
• Add 4-5 ounces of Chai tea mixture
• Add sugar & cream/milk if desired

There are a variety of different chai mixtures one can experiment with; however, the Tazo Organic Chai Black Tea mix is the favorite we have seen at an associated kava bar in our area.

Simple Flavorings

Something that we have seen to be surprisingly effective at masking the taste  are pump flavorings– especially the fruit-based flavorings. You can find these pump flavorings at local coffee shops or online for a very reasonable cost.

Mixtures & Blends

Another common method that has been more recently for those who don’t want to toss ‘n’ wash or make tea, is to mix kratom. Some of the most common mixers we have heard are:

• Yogurt
• Applesauce
• Peanut Butter
• Honey
• Juice
• Chocolate Milk

Mixing kratom with these has the added benefit of allowing it to be taken while minimizing the taste, however, with some of these it may take longer to digest.

Another creative method we have heard is to kratom with peanut butter to form little peanut butter balls to swallow. Nearly any decent tasting drink/mixture can be effective.

Additionally, tools such as blender bottles, commonly used for protein shakes, have been suggested for this process.

Kratom Capsules

A common form of kratom preparation is by capping the kratom powder rather than taking it whole, mixed or in tea form. Kratom capsules have the benefit of being easy to use.

Considerations

Buying capsules can be extremely expensive in comparison to powder, and kratom capsules (especially the variety sold by less reputable companies at shady stores and gas stations) that have had a big part in giving kratom a bad name. Additionally, when buying these capsules you don’t really know what you’re getting, as it isn’t an approved dietary supplement; which could lead to dangers for both the user, and kratom’s legality.

Because of this, anyone who wants to keep kratom legal should avoid buying kratom capsules. There are a large variety of capsule tools, such as “The Capsule Machine” and “Cap m Quick”, which can make capsules in bulk (and save you a tremendous amount of money over time in the process).

Kratom Strain Differences

Differences between strains is a factor that can’t be overlooked when calculating a dosage. There are a few primary strains that should be dosed relatively lower than the average, these strains are:

• Maeng Da – Potent, active at lower doses
• Bali – Side effects encountered at lower doses in comparison to other strains
• Thai – Can be overstimulating for some at higher doses

Because of this, it is a good idea to modify dosage with these strains accordingly in order to achieve best results. Some strains, such as Borneo, can be dosed relatively higher, due to their lack of side-effects. Because of this variability in strains, it is advisable to start low with any new or unknown strain.

Traditional Dosage

Dosage has been a key factor for those looking for specific effects. By dosing too low, the medicinal capabilities are nulled, while dosing too high can often lead to relatively harmless, but potentially unpleasant side-effects, such as the “wobbles” and minor nausea. To learn about kratom dosage, refer below.

Average Dosage by Grams

• Mild – 1 to 2 grams
• Moderate – 2-4.5 grams
• High – 4.5 – 8 grams

Average Dosage by Teaspoon

• Mild – .5  to .9 tsp
• Moderate – 1 to 2 tsp
• High – 2 to 3.5 tsp

It should be noted that due to varying potency between strains and plants, this estimate is in no way standardized, instead it an estimate based on historical and experiential reports. Doses at the the “high” end of the spectrum are also much more likely to cause side-effects, depending upon the strain.

Enhanced Leaf

Enhanced leaf has become the go-to choice of many extract users due to it’s high potency and lack of side effects. Enhanced leaf is used by taking a highly potent kratom extract, dissolving it in a solution, soaking kratom leaves/powder in this solution and letting it dry. When done correctly, this method can create a highly potent leaf.

One of the most popular enhanced leaf blends of our era is known as Ultra Enhanced Indo otherwise known as UEI.

Pros:

• Very potent when done well
• Lack of side-effects per potency
• Typically well-rounded
• Highly effective for pain

Cons:

• Rapid development of tolerance
• Relatively high price

Kratom Tinctures

Unlike the other forms of extracts, kratom tinctures can vary in their method of extraction and their potency; because of this, buying them from an disreputable source can leave one disappointed. On the other hand, when they are done well, they can be quite potent.

Pros:

• Ease of Use
• Fast-acting
• Convenience of storage

Cons:

• Typically expensive
• Variable Potency
• Rarely provide a full-spectrum of effects
• Rapid development of tolerance