Kratom is a medicinal plant that has been used for everything from improving sexual health to enjoying a relaxing high for hundreds of years. While it’s native to Southeast and East Asia, kratom and kratom powder can now be found in stores all around the world.
But if you’ve never used kratom or don’t really know what kratom is, it can be intimidating to incorporate into your life. This guide is going to go over exactly what kratom is, how to use kratom, and the benefits kratom can have for your physical and mental health.
Keep reading to learn more.
What Is Kratom?
As we mentioned, kratom is a plant originating from Southeast Asia. It comes from a tree called Mitragyna Speciosa. Kratom itself comes from the leaves of the tree. The leaves are either ingested or used to brew a tea. You can also find concentrated kratom powder made from the leaves of the tree.
It’s been used for its medicinal effects for hundreds of years. Traditional uses of kratom centered around pain relief and wound healing. Recreational use is also common in many Southeastern Asian countries, especially Thailand.
The effects of kratom are varied and interesting: depending on the kratom dosage, you can get either sedative (high dose) or stimulant (low dose) effects. This makes it applicable to a number of ailments, symptoms and uses.
How to Use Kratom
There are a few common ways to ingest kratom. Traditionally, kratom leaves would be chewed.
However, it’s more common nowadays to consume it as kratom powder. The quickest way is to simply combine the kratom powder with water and drink it down.
This only problem with this method is many people don’t like the taste. It can be bitter and earthy. In order to cover up this taste and make it easier to ingest, you can brew a kratom tea or combine the powder with more flavorful liquids like juice, smoothies, or milkshakes.
Check out the kratom exchange website to discover more ways to take kratom.
Benefits of Kratom
Now that you know how to use kratom, let’s look at why you would use it in the first place. While some people use it recreationally, it’s mostly used for it’s combined stimulant and relaxant effects for a number of symptoms and conditions.
Pain Relief
Pain relief is one of the most common applications of kratom; it’s been used as a pain reliever since the days of its traditional use.
Western medicine usually pushes pain medications in order to handle consistent and chronic pain. However, these medications, specifically opiates, can have dangerous side effects and be extremely addictive.
Kratom contains chemicals called alkaloids. Alkaloids are dubbed as “painkiller chemicals” since they act as pain relievers.
The main alkaloids in kratom, 7-OH Mitragynine, and mitragynine, will activate opiate receptors in our bodies, which will provide pain relief without having to take dangerous opiates. Kratom actually contains over 25 types of alkaloids, making it a powerful painkiller.
It also contains a chemical called corynanthidine that acts as an opiate agonist and prevents respiratory depression that can often be caused by opiate painkillers. Respiratory depression can lead to overdose and death.
This makes kratom much safer to take than opiates while still providing the same level of pain relief.
Boosts Energy
Lower doses of kratom can be used to boost your energy. When taken in high doses, kratom’s stimulant effects are more prominent.
If you’re experiencing fatigue, drowsiness, or just feel and overall fog, kratom can boost your energy and perk you up. Try replacing a morning coffee with a cup of kratom tea to get energy boosting effects without the negatives and crashes of caffeine.
Boosts Libido
The same alkaloids that can provide pain relief can also help boost both women and men’s sexual health and libido. It increases your energy and many claim they feel an increase in their sex drive when taking kratom.
It can also help increase your longevity during sex and make sex feel more intense. It’s thought to have these effects because of its stimulant properties at low doses.
Anxiety Reduction
Higher doses of kratom work as a relaxant, which can help reduce anxiety. More traditional anti-anxiety medications can be addictive and have negative side effects. Kratom is a more natural solution for anxiety issues.
The alkaloids in kratom are responsible for these effects; research shows plant alkaloids are a viable and effective alternative for treating anxiety.
Promotes Healthy Sleep
Most people aren’t getting as much sleep as they should be. In fact, it’s estimated that 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting enough sleep. Besides drowsiness and fatigue, lack of sleep can result in a number of negative health effects, including:
- Irritability
- Worsened anxiety
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of obesity
- Reduced immune health
- Reduced concentration/ decision-making skills
Kratom can help improve your sleep, even if you’re suffering from insomnia. High doses of kratom result in relaxant properties. This can help promote healthy sleep.
Improves Immune System
Your immune system is what fights off infection, gives you energy, and keeps you feeling healthy. Stress, infection, lack of sleep, anxiety, and diet can all cause your immune system to be less effective. This can lead to you feeling unhealthy and rundown.
Kratom works in a number of ways to boost your immune system. The alkaloids in kratom can directly interact with and boost your immune system, which will make sure it’s working the best it can to keep you healthy.
But the other beneficial effects of kratom also serve to improve your immune health. Healthy sleep, anxiety reduction, and pain relief can all promote immune health.
A Beginner’s Guide to Kratom: Wrapping Up
Kratom has a wide variety of uses that can help everything from your diminished sex drive to your immune health. Once you learn how to use kratom and what you can use it for, it’s an excellent alternative to other more typical medications that can have negative and addictive effects.
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