One of the most appealing things about kratom is that it comes in different forms. You can use kratom in several ways depending on your needs. As a natural leaf, kratom can be processed into a powder that makes it very easy to use.
Kratom powder is just one option. Kratom is also available in the form of an extract. Both kratom powder and kratom extract have their advantages. The choice most often comes down to individual preferences.
Kratom powder is probably the most common way to buy and use kratom. If you go to any retail outlet or order kratom online, you will most likely find kratom powder. But kratom extract is becoming another common option from kratom suppliers.
What are the main differences between kratom powder and kratom extract? What are the advantages of kratom powder and kratom extract? And what are the best and safest ways to use kratom powder and kratom extract? This guide will walk you through the details about kratom powder and kratom extract.
What is Kratom Powder?
First, kratom is the name for the plant Mitragyna speciosa. This is a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Mitragyna speciosa grows wild throughout central and southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. It is also grown in some of the island nations of this region of the world.
Kratom has been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia for centuries because it contains high concentrations of alkaloids such as Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two alkaloids mainly responsible for the effects of kratom.
Once the leaves have been harvested and dried according to the various specifications for each strain of kratom, these can be further processed and ground into a powder. Kratom powder is effectively the kratom leaf. It is not concentrated or enhanced in any way. The degree of the potency of kratom powder is entirely dependent upon the individual strain and variety from which the kratom powder is derived.
What is Kratom Extract?
Kratom extract tends to be a little more concentrated than kratom powder. The extract most often begins with kratom powder. Some extracts are made from the whole leaves. The extraction process is water extraction. Some kratom extracts may come from extractions using other solvents such as alcohol. It is similar to boiling tea. The extractions can use the entire plant in some cases, the goal of which is to pull out the desired alkaloids into the solution. This solution is further concentrated so that all solids and particulate matter can be removed.
What we end up with is something of a dark paste which is dried until it is brittle. The final extraction is then processed into an oil. The resulting extraction is more powerful than kratom powder.
Kratom extract is more expensive than kratom powder. Since kratom extract necessarily requires more resources and time to produce than kratom powder, it is more expensive. But keep in mind that you will need much less kratom extract to produce the same effects as kratom powder.
Supportive Properties of Kratom Powder
The supportive properties of kratom powder are many. Kratom is unique in that it provides both a lift and a calming effect. While some people will use kratom instead of coffee for a morning perk, others take kratom to relax.
Kratom powder provides stimulant effects that are more comprehensive than something like caffeine. Kratom promotes natural energy production, but it also supports focus. The stimulant properties of kratom powder supports your brain functions, making it possible to maintain concentration in addition to having increased energy.
But kratom also provides a mellowing effect. In the correct serving size, kratom helps settle you down. Many people use kratom for things like stress and general overload.
Kratom powder also may help promote feelings of ease. One of the traditional uses of kratom is to provide stress relief and relaxation since kratom may create a settling effect on the body.
One of the practical benefits of kratom powder is that it can be taken easily. Kratom tea is a common and popular way to consume kratom, and tea can be made more palatable than straight kratom powder.
Benefits of Kratom Extract
The primary benefit of kratom extract is its potency. Depending on the extraction process, kratom extract can be as much as 50 times more potent than kratom powder. What this means is that if you are used to using one gram of kratom powder, the same amount of kratom extract is going to potentially be 50 times stronger.
The increased potency of kratom extract means it can be taken in much smaller quantities. You will only need a fraction of what you normally use to get the same effects.
Kratom extract tends to work faster than kratom powder. This can be important for people who use kratom to support their wellness routine, for example. If you are in need of a natural body support, a small amount of kratom extract will kick in fast and work much more effectively.
Differences Between Kratom Powder And Kratom Extract?
We should be clear in saying the kratom powder and kratom extract are very different. Both are forms of kratom, but they should not be treated as the same product. Kratom powder and kratom extract differ in some key areas:
Potency
Kratom extract is distinctly more potent than kratom powder. Since kratom extract basically consists of the active alkaloids that make kratom work it will affect your quicker and with more intensity.
Preparation
Kratom powder is prepared by curing and drying kratom leaves and grinding them into a powder. Kratom powder is simply the granulated leaf of the kratom plant. Kratom extract is the result of a water and/or chemical extraction process that removes all impurities and leaves only a dense substance that is loaded with the active alkaloids of kratom.
Absorption
Kratom powder needs to be ingested in some way. Either by making and drinking tea made with kratom powder, swallowed in the form of a capsule, to be eaten and washed down with water or juice, kratom powder has to be absorbed by the natural bodily processes to make it into the bloodstream. Kratom extract can be taken in the same ways but it will make its way into your system much faster as the alkaloids are far more available.
Digestion
Kratom powder needs to be broken down from its vegetable forms to make the kratom alkaloids available to your system. In the case of kratom extract, these alkaloids are effectively free and will enter your system almost immediately.
Taste
Kratom powder has a vegetable, leafy, and bitter flavor. Most people find kratom reasonably palatable. Some find kratom too bitter and need to take kratom in the form of tea. Kratom extract is strong and pungent. In either case, you can take kratom with juice to cut the taste of kratom. Things like orange juice work best, and the acid in orange juice can help accelerate kratom’s effects.
Kratom Powder Serving Size
Kratom affects everyone a little differently. Your physical make-up will determine how you react to kratom, and therefore serving size can be difficult. Some people are sensitive to kratom and will need only a small amount to get the desired effects. Others will need more. The serving size guidelines below are general, and you should simply take it slow with kratom if you are new to using kratom.
- Mild: 1 gram
- Moderate: 3 grams
- Basic Effects for Most Users: 5 grams
- Intense Effects: 10 grams
- Extreme Effects (only for experienced kratom users): 15 grams
Kratom Extract Serving Size
Kratom extract is also difficult to gauge with certainty. However, kratom extract is far more potent than kratom powder. Depending on how it is produced and processed, kratom extract can be as much as 50 times stronger than kratom powder.
Use the guide above and take roughly one-third of what is recommended. For a 1-gram serving of kratom powder, take 250 mg of kratom extract. You can follow the chart below for a general guide:
- Mild: 200-300 mg
- Moderate: 1-2 grams
- Basic Effects for Most Users: 3-5 grams
- Intense Effects: 5-7 grams
- Extreme Effects (only for experienced kratom users): 10 grams
Again, this is a rough guideline. Since kratom extract is so potent, always start on the low end of things.
As with kratom powder, begin with small servings to see how you respond to kratom extract. You can always increase the serving size as you become familiar with the effects of kratom extract.
Kratom Powder Effects
Kratom powder can provide a stimulant effect similar to coffee or tea. One effect of the alkaloids in kratom is to give a natural boost to internal energy production. Many people take kratom powder specifically to make it possible to get through high energy workdays.
Kratom powder also may enhance your mood. In addition to the physical energy boost, kratom powder can lift your mood and make you more aware. These effects included supported concentration and the ability to pay attention to multiple tasks at the same time.
Kratom powder also may provide a calming effect. Even as kratom powder is capable of giving you an energy boost, the chemical properties of the kratom alkaloids also settle you down. Many people find that kratom is one of the best ways to wind down. Some people use kratom specifically for its ability to promote ease.
Kratom powder can also help you sleep. When taken correctly, and using the right strain of kratom, kratom powder can provide calming effects that lead to increased quality of sleep.
Kratom Extract Effects
Kratom extract provides the same effects as kratom powder. Again, the main difference is that kratom extract is far more potent.
Most people who use kratom extract are experienced with taking kratom. People who understand exactly how kratom affects them, and how to manage side effects are more likely to respond well to kratom extract.
If you are new to kratom, and you want to begin with kratom extract, take small serving sizes. Remember that 200-300 mg of kratom extract will produce the same effects as about 1 gram of kratom powder.
Conclusion
Kratom has increased in popularity in recent years because of its beneficial effects. Kratom can provide both energy boosts and calming effects. The many strains and varieties of kratom make it a versatile herbal substance that can provide all kinds of benefits.
Some strains of kratom are more uplifting, while others are more calming. Still, other strains of kratom are known for supporting a sense of ease. But the appeal of kratom goes beyond its effects.
Kratom is extremely versatile; you can take kratom simply by swallowing the raw power. You can make kratom tea. And you can even purchase kratom capsules. But kratom also comes in different forms.
Kratom powder is the most common form. You can also get kratom extracts. Perhaps the most important thing to know about kratom extract is its potency. Kratom extract is much more potent than kratom powder.
While kratom extract produces the same effects as kratom powder, it is much stronger, and it works much faster. You will feel the effects of kratom extract quicker and with greater intensity than kratom powder.
Kratom extract and kratom powder are both great ways to experience the benefits of kratom. The important things to understand involve the ways you respond to kratom in general. If you are new to kratom, an extract may be too intense. On the other hand, if you are taking kratom for specific therapeutic reasons, kratom extract may be just what you need.
In either case, kratom powder and kratom extract are effective ways to get the supportive properties of kratom.
