Mitragyna Speciosa – which the general public knows as Kratom is an herb native to the regions of Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, etc. It belongs to the coffee family.
In some cultures, the leaves were used as part of folk medicine for remedying a bunch of mental and physical discomforts. It also served as a source of extra energy much like coffee. Originally, the growers would pick the leaves, dry them up before grinding them, or chew them raw.
It was first studied in the 1830s by Dutch botanist Pieter Korthals. Over the years, it was further studied until the herb finally found its way into the mainstream herbal segment with the onset of the early 2000s.
Today you can find it mostly in the form of powder, extracts, and even crushed leaves. Let’s take a look at different forms of kratom available today.
What Is Kratom Powder?
When consumed in small doses, kratom powder tends to produce a spectrum of effects ranging from mildly sedative, to energizing, to uplifting, to pain-relieving. However, in large quantities, it can have effects similar to opioids. That is why you need to be careful with the dosage.
In terms of what kratom powder is, it is exactly what it sounds like. Essentially, it comes from leaves that have been dried up nicely. After drying, leaves are then crushed, processed, and then finely ground into powder. You can buy kratom powder from the online store Kratom Crazy.
You can then use the powder for a variety of purposes. You can either combine it with other foods and drinks like making brownies. For drinks, kratom tea has become quite the staple food item lately.
You can also consume it directly with water or other juices like apple juice, orange juice, etc.
Kratom Leaf vs. Powder
Kratom is available in the market in the form of dried up leaves too. The most popular way to use them is to crush them up and turn them into capsules. Don’t worry. It’s much simpler than it sounds.
So, essentially you take the kratom leaves and crumble them in your hands. Make sure to place a paper underneath so it can collect the dust. Alternatively, you can also use a bell pepper mill. Be sure to purchase a brand new one so that no residue from pepper or any other spice gets mixed with the powder.
If you have a blender or a food processor at home, that is also going to do the trick. Just remember that some of the powder may stick with the bladers or some other parts. So be sure to wash it off before using it for other purposes.
Here are a couple of ideas on how to use these crushed kratom leaves.
- You can choose to consume it as is it. Although it will taste bitter so you can wash it down quickly with a sweet beverage such as juice or even with water to mask the bitterness.
- You can mix the crushed leaves in some other drinks like juices or beverages and drink it.
- You can add it to puddings, applesauce, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.
- You can also add it to soups or some other savory foods of your choice.
- You can buy empty vitamin capsules from your local food market and encapsulate them in those capsules.
Using Crushed Leaves For Tea Preparation
A common method and a simple technique when it comes to using kratom – is to brew it into a nice tea preparation. You do not need any special kind or equipment for this. If anything, you are going to need a strainer to separate the leaves from the final concoction.
The method is pretty simple. You start by putting the leaves into a mug and pouring boiling water over it. Let sit for a good 20 minutes. Then you use the strainer to separate the chunks of leaves.
Some like to boil it up and add sweeteners of their choice for flavoring purposes. The choice is all yours. There are a bunch of recipes on the internet you can follow to prepare kratom tea.
What Is Kratom Extract?
Before we talk about what kratom extract is, you have to know about alkaloids. Essentially alkaloids are the chemical compounds that make kratom what it is. It’s what gives this plant all the medicinal and therapeutic edge.
Kratom extract is essentially a concentrated form kratom which is often prepared by boiling kratom leaves in water to extract the alkaloids. What is left behind is a thick paste which is rich in alkaloids like mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and mitraphylline.
How is kratom extract different from capsules or powder or leaves? Well, it’s much more potent than any other form of kratom. That means, even a little bit of dosage is going to produce an intense range of effects. It is estimated to be around 15 times more potent than kratom in any other form.
What About The Dosage?
You have to know that kratom doesn’t come with any dosage instructions whatsoever. Since the FDA does not oversee its distribution, no seller can tell you how much to take. That is why, the whole thing is a big gamble and if you’re not careful enough, you could end up experiencing troubling effects.
If you are a beginner it is suggested you start with around 3 grams of dosage and then wait for the effects to kick in. With each dosage, you can slowly up the take and wait for the dosage that finally gives you an optimal level of effects.
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Angela is an editorial assistant at Kratom Crazy, a premium supplier of kratom extracts that are sold for research and educational purposes. Being working as an editor, Angela is also responsible for studying kratom effects on various health issues. Connect with Kratom Crazy through Facebook.
