If you’re taking your first steps on your Kratom journey, you probably have many questions running through your mind. Uncertainty and perplexing questions are natural when faced with the unknown, like changing your lifestyle or adopting something new. 

Although it’s always nerve-wracking to take on something brand new into your life, it can be to your benefit as well. Humans resist change as the upheaval causes anxiety and stress, but it also kindles restoration and recreation. 

Whether it’s an exercise routine, a cooking technique, or a daily dose of Kratom tea, bettering yourself helps you boost your well-being and become more flexible and optimistic.

The best way to lessen your curiosity about the mysterious Kratom tree is to learn as much as you can about it. Here are five questions often heard from new Kratom users. 

1. What is Kratom?

A tropical evergreen endemic to Southeast Asia, Kratom trees can grow up to 80’ tall and have large, oval-shaped leaves. They grow in places like Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, Borneo, and other humid, jungly parts of Southeast Asia. Botanists often remark on how sturdy and resilient Mitragyna speciosa are, as they seem to be able to grow in arid conditions as well as humid flood plains. 

For generations, people who live in the Southeast Asian locales have adopted these trees’ leaves into their daily regimens to help manage stress, boost determination, and imbue optimism.

The first Western interaction with these wondrous alkaloid-laden leaves was Dutch explorer Pieter Willem Korthals in 1839 when he came into contact with Kratom in his travels in Southeast Asia. It was renamed and reclassified a few times before its final classification as Mitragyna speciosa or Kratom by George Darby Haviland in 1859.

2. How is Kratom Made?

The growing, gathering, and cultivation of Kratom leaves is passed down from generation to generation. 

There are three different Kratom strains – red, green, white –  and they all have varied and remarkable outcomes. The processors decide each strain in Southeast Asia with a particular drying pattern. Cultivators leave the leaves in the sun (or UV light) or dry them in a shaded area or dark room.  

Harvesters in this part of the world know the exact moment in the tree’s growing season when the leaves have the optimal amount of alkaloids in them. The processors are experts in drying and creating each strain, crushing them into a fine powder for transportation and consumption in the Western world.

Vendors blend these powders into unique varieties that boost the benefits of Kratom. You can find mixes of red, white, and green Kratom available from reputable vendors who perform rigorous third-party testing on every batch. The careful attention to cultivation, processing, blending, and testing ensures the Kratom you receive is pure and potent.

3. What Does Kratom Do to You?

Alkaloids are compounds, often found in plants, roots, or fungi, that interact with your internal systems. What makes Kratom so special is its high number of alkaloids, and two in particular – mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These two align with specific receptors in our nervous system to produce wonderful outcomes. 

Humans have been turning away from potentially problematic pharmaceuticals for some time. Adopting a more healthful and plant-based regimen is always a great way to build up your immunity and reduce inflammation in the body. 

By interacting with crucial receptors in your systems, Kratom can produce a wide range of benefits, from an aura of serenity to a spur of motivation. Some look to Kratom for a renewed boost amid day-to-day drudgery, while others prefer a red-veined strain, more applicable for evening or nighttime enjoyment. 

4. What are the Different Strains of Kratom?

Whether a particular batch turns out to be red, green, white, or even yellow Kratom depends on how long the farmers dry the leaves in the sun and how long in the shade. Some batches even get fermented in sacks, which lets them process in an enclosed environment. 

This pattern of drying in the shade and light governs which strain it will be. Certain strains, like red-veined Kratom, are dried for a long time in the sun; other strains – white, for instance – spend very little time in direct sunlight, which decides its paler hue. 

All of the different powders on the market usually come from one primary type of Kratom tree – red-veined. But the processing of strain determination is fascinating because this process changes the alkaloid content in the leaves. 

Green and white vein Kratom are excellent at sharpening determination and imbuing a rosy optimism to your day-to-day actions. Green Kratom, in particular, will lend some pep to your step, commensurate with a strong cup of coffee, but without the incipient jittery feelings you sometimes get afterward. 

5. How Do You Take Kratom?

For novices in the Kratom world, one of their first questions is usually about how to take Kratom powder. The response that there are options fit for everyone.

Traditionally, folks in Southeast Asia pick the leaves off the trees and chew them or brew them into a bitter tea. Since Kratom has boomed in popularity after debuting on the global market, you often see Kratom powder listed by strain.

The convenience and versatility of powder make it perfect for smoothies, teas (hot or cold), or meals like curries or overnight oats. If you prefer simplicity, opt for the toss-and-wash method when you take a spoonful of Kratom and wash it down with your beverage of choice. 

There have been comments on Kratom’s bitter taste, and you may want to sidetrack that altogether. In that case, you can take your Kratom in convenient capsules, which let you determine your dosage down to the milligram and omit any bitter aftertaste.  

Wrapping it Up

Whether you choose to take Kratom as a powder supplement in a capsule or add it to your daily menu, you’ll see excellent results with Kratom powders and teas. 

Kratom isn’t isolated to a handful of islands in the middle of the Pacific anymore; now, its assets are shared throughout the Western world, with new convenient forms like capsules. 

No matter how you like to take it or what strain you prefer, Kratom will not let you down. Celebrated in Southeast Asian cultures for centuries, you can now reap all the benefits Kratom has to offer. 

Image Credits

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southeast_Asia_(orthographic_projection).svg

https://ssdp.org/blog/an-fgcu-students-reaction-to-the-dea-scheduling-of-mitragyna-speciosa/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kratom_leaf.JPG

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