Kratom has a variety of uses. When taken in low to moderate
doses, it acts as a stimulate by creating an alert state with increased
physical and sexual energy. In high doses, the effect is the opposite: It works
as a sedative to numb physical and emotional pain. Kratom comes in a variety of
forms, with one of the most popular being the natural leaf state that users
brew into tea.
The recipe for kratom tea is easy to follow and makes two
servings:
Measure out ½ oz. of dried kratom leaves. Add the leaves and
16 oz. of water to a pot.
Boil the mixture gently for 15 minutes; the higher the boil,
the more bitter your tea will be, so keep the water barely boiling.
Remove the mixture from the stovetop and strain the liquid
into a container, squeezing the leaves to get out as much of the liquid as
possible.
Return the leaves to the pot and add 16.oz of fresh water.
Boil and strain again.
Pour the strained liquid back into the pot and boil down to
about 3½ oz.
Divide the mixture in two and drink with a friend. You can
also increase the above ingredients proportionally and keep your kratom tea in
the refrigerator for up to seven days. Add lemon to your tea if you find the
taste still too bitter after gently boiling.
This recipe results in medium-strength, or moderate, doses
of kratom. You can buy kratom in a variety of stores, both online and
brick-and-mortar, but your best bet is to follow the recommendation of a
friend. Many kratom sellers
offer low-quality product that will not produce the desired results.
If tea isn’t your bag, you can also buy kratom in powder and
capsule form. Be sure to ask when the kratom was ground and only purchase from
a seller that grinds the leaf within a week of shipping. This results in
fresher kratom. You can also buy kratom as an extract in powder, liquid and
resin form.
The average cost of kraton ranges by quality level and
variety but expect to pay between about $9 to $22 for 1 oz. of the leaf, $18
for 1 oz. of the powder and $15 to $25 for 1 oz. of the capsule form. The resin
runs from about $16 for 4 grams of powdered extract to $18 for a 15 ml bottle
of the liquid extract. Resin kratom extract costs about $16 for 10 grams.
While it is legal to buy kratom in the United States and
many other countries around the world, precaution should be taken: Do not take
more than twice a month and avoid taking kratom with large amounts of caffeine,
drugs or alcohol.
About the Author: Chris Huber writes about alternative
medicine, including uses for kratom, for a variety of publications. He will use
the medicinal leaf to alleviate minor aches and pains after a particularly long
run. Huber will only buy kratom
from respected online sellers.