You’ve heard the hype and your friends talking about the trendy herbal supplement – kratom. Maybe you have seen it at smoke shops, vape stores, marijuana dispensaries, gas stations, or naturopathic food grocery stores Kratom powders and capsules seem like they are being sold everywhere nowadays. However, with the multitude of brands and their flashy logos, you are probably wondering is kratom natural? The answer is – yes but you must buy from a reputable vendor who sells only pure products.
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Understanding This Kratom Natural Plant
Let’s look at kratom so you can understand the herbal supplement.
Kratom is obtained from a tropical evergreen tree called the Mitragyna speciosa. The tree is a member of the coffee family and grows wild throughout the rainforests of Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and other South Asian locations.
The Leaves of Kratom
Vein Color of Kratom Leaves – Kratom Natural
The leaves are harvested at different times throughout the year, cured, and then ground into either tea granules or fine powder.
Depending on the time of harvest, the alkaloids within the leaves are at various potency levels.
When shopping for kratom, you’ll encounter terms like green vein, red vein, and white vein.
The vein color is determined by the growth cycle of the foliage and when harvesting occurred. The alkaloid levels within the leaves vary at different stages of the growth cycle.
The Potency of Kratom
Kratom Natural Leaves
Kratom naturally contains the active constitutes Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. It also boasts other alkaloids in varying degrees. Clearly, the alkaloids are the contributing factor to the plant’s reputed ability to treat a host of physical conditions. In addition, the alkaloids are the reason why the herb has the potential for abuse as users seek the euphoric effects of the alkaloid compounds.
Is Kratom Legal?
In the United States, despite many legal battles, kratom remains legal for purchase and use.
However, some cities and counties have curtailed the sale of the herb by implementing local laws.
Currently, kratom is illegal in Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, and a few other European countries.
In Canada, kratom is sold for external use only and not for ingestion.
Currently, you’ll find that kratom is regularly marketed in the United States as alternative medicine or an herbal supplement.
The Impact of Kratom
Curing Kratom
When ingested at low doses, kratom acts as a stimulant.
Users report added energy, feeling more sociable, and experiencing greater alertness.
When taken in higher doses, kratom has a sedative-like effect and produces greater euphoric feelings.
It also dulls emotions and sensations.
Both Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine appear to have analgesic (pain-relieving) capabilities combined with anti-inflammatory benefits.
They also appear to act as a muscle relaxant.
People living with fibromyalgia extensively use kratom to ease their discomfort.
Stimulant effects
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) states that it takes only a ridiculously small dose of kratom to produce stimulant effects in the user. Typically, on a few grams will render a reaction within ten minutes of ingesting. The effects can easily last up to an hour and a half or longer.
Stimulant effects include:
- Sociability
- Reduced motor coordination
- Giddiness
- Alertness
- Added energy.
Sedative Effects
Taking a large dose of 10 to 25 grams of kratom will cause a sedative effect. It takes about ten minutes to impact the user and will last up to six hours. Many people opt to take a large dose of kratom to gain a good night’s sleep if they suffer from insomnia or pain.
Sedative effects include:
- Calmness
- Relaxation
- Euphoria
- Sleepiness
Is Kratom Natural?
Drying Kratom Leaves
You’ll always want to read the fine print on any brand of kratom that you purchase.
The Kratom natural herb boasts dark green leaves that are dried and crushed to form a powder that resembles the hue of the leaves.
However, you will regularly encounter fortified powders being sold which are usually an off-green color or light brown.
The powders are not pure kratom but contain extracts from other plants.
You’ll find kratom being sold as a powder, capsule, tablet, extract, tincture, and paste. On occasion, you can also find kratom bagged as tea.
As with any herbal supplement, you’ll want to read to the ingredients to be sure only kratom natural powder is included and no additives.
The Effects of Kratom on the Body and Mind
Many aspects of kratom remain a mystery to researchers.
However, Marc Swogger, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, carried out a study that focused on kratom states, “It’s not an opiate, but it binds to the opiate receptor,” he said. However, unlike opioids, kratom does not knock out the user which is highly beneficial for those seeking pain relief.
Is Kratom Addictive?
Sorting Kratom Leaves
To a degree, kratom is addictive.
However, it is not the boogeymen that the media often likes to portray.
According to Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D., instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “kratom doesn’t belong in the category of a Schedule I drug, because there seems to be a relatively low rate of abuse potential, and there may be medical applications to explore, including as a possible treatment for pain and opioid use disorder.” When asked directly about kratom addiction, he states “There has been a bit of fearmongering because kratom is opioidlike, and because of the toll of our current opioid epidemic.”
“Both prescription and illicit opioids carry the risk of lethal overdose as evidenced by the more than 47,000 opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2017,” states Garcia-Romeu. “Notably there’s been fewer than 100 kratom-related deaths reported in a comparable period, and most of these involved mixing with other substances or in combination with pre-existing health conditions.”
Regulation to Keep Kratom Natural
“Although our findings show kratom to be relatively safe according to these self-reports, unregulated medicinal supplements raise concerns with respect to contamination or higher doses of the active chemicals, which could increase negative side effects and harmful responses,” says Garcia-Romeu. “This is why we advocate for the FDA to regulate kratom, which would require testing for impurities and maintaining safe levels of the active chemicals. Otherwise, unregulated products run the risk of unsafe additives and dosing problems, which could be like getting a shot of grain alcohol when you were trying to order a beer.”
When using kratom natural, you should take only pure kratom with no other additives. In addition, never mix kratom with prescription medication. If you are currently taking a prescription medication and you would like to try kratom then please consult with your physician prior to using the herb.
Conclusion
When wondering if kratom is kratom natural, you will want to buy only from a reputable vendor. At My Kratom Club, we sell premium kratom by some of the biggest brands in the business. Please contact us to learn more about our many kratom products and strains.
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