Although kratom has been used for many centuries in leaf and powder form, kratom extracts have only recently become an alternative way of taking kratom. Yet, they’ve been rapidly gaining popularity over the past decade and are become more frequently available in physical as well as online stores.
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What Are Kratom Extracts
Kratom extracts are potent concentrated forms of kratom. The most common way of making kratom extracts is by brewing kratom powder or crushed leaves to evaporate most of the liquid. This results in a thick and dark paste, which contains the concentration of the active compounds found in kratom.
The result is a concentrated form of the beneficial herb in much smaller, yet more powerful quantities.
Types of Kratom Extracts
Kratom extracts don’t just come in liquid form. In fact, there are different types. The three primary kratom extract varieties are:
- powder extract,
- tincture, and
- resin.
Powder Extracts
Kratom powder extracts are the most popular and most widely available. They are highly potent, easy to make, and store.
You can use kratom extract powder in the same way you would use regular kratom powder. However, you first need to measure your dose accurately because extract powders are concentrated and will require a much smaller dose.
Tinctures
Kratom tinctures are extracts in liquid form that you can take using a dropper. There are full-spectrum kratom tinctures that provide a well-rounded experience that is similar to that of kratom leaf powder.
However, you can also find 7-hydroxymitragynine tinctures that focus specifically on pain relief. Keep in mind that your experience with them may be different from what you will experience with a full-spectrum tincture of kratom leaf powder.
You can take kratom tincture directly under your tongue as you would CBD oil.
Resins
Kratom resins look like dark and glossy lumps that resemble tar. They can be pressed into bricks or pies, which make resins easy to transport and store. Resin bricks are usually much larger and can be cut up in smaller pieces.
There are several ways in which you can take kratom resin. First, you can cut it up into smaller pieces and make kratom tea. You can also smaller dose-sized pieces of in the same way you would swallow kratom capsules.
Kratom Extract Advantages
Many kratom lovers opt for kratom extracts because of a variety of benefits that come with their use:
1. Small Potent Doses
Kratom extracts are compact forms of kratom; therefore, you need much smaller amounts to achieve desired effects. This can be particularly useful if you dislike the taste of kratom powder or have a hard time getting it down.
2. Convenience
If you buy kratom powder in bulk, storing it requires quite a lot of space. Smaller size requires less space for storage. This makes kratom extracts very convenient to store and transport. Kratom extracts can also be more convenient if you plan to travel with kratom. (Make sure you check kratom legality in your destination before you travel with kratom.)
3. Faster Absorption
When it comes to liquid kratom extracts, your body does not need to break them down and can absorb them much faster. Therefore, you can expect much faster effects. Keep in mind that kratom and CBD do not work in the same way; so, you will need to take regular doses to keep experiencing the effects.
Kratom Extract Disadvantages
Nonetheless, there are also a few disadvantages that come with the use of extracts:
1. Higher Price
Kratom extracts need additional processing, which takes time, resources, and manpower. Therefore, you can expect to pay a steeper price for extracts.
2. Higher Risk of Taking an Incorrect Dose
Since kratom extracts are very concentrated, it is important to measure your dose extremely carefully. That’s because overdosing kratom becomes more likely. This can result in kratom side effects and unpleasant experience, especially if you take fast or moderate strains in the morning to help you handle important tasks.
Not all kratom powders are the same, and their potency can vary depending on many factors. As a result, the same amount of powder from a different vendor or during a different season can have completely different potency.
The same principle applies to kratom extract powders through because of their concentration the correct dose can be even harder to measure.
3. Doesn’t Work for Everyone
Despite being convenient and expensive, kratom extracts don’t always work. The kratom community frequently describes kratom extracts an “unreliable” or a “waste of money.” They suggest sticking to kratom powder instead.
4. High Risk of Kratom Tolerance
While many state that kratom extracts have the same potential of raising tolerance as raw leaf powder, many also claim that kratom extracts raise tolerance and taking kratom powder after them makes it less effective.
5. Higher Risk of Adulteration
Independent laboratories that test kratom products state that it’s more frequent for them to see adulterated kratom extracts rather than powders. Kratom extracts are frequently sold in head shops, gas station, and similar physical locations that are frequently associated with a higher risk of buying low quality, contaminated, adulterated, fake, or improperly advertised kratom.
Understanding Kratom Extract Potency
You’ll see kratom extracts labeled with a number followed by an “x,” e.g., 5x, 10x, and 15x. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t represent the potency grade.
So, 15x extract doesn’t mean that the extract is 15 times more potent than raw kratom powder. Instead, it signifies that 15 grams of kratom leaf matter were used to produce 1 gram of the extract.
Therefore, it is important to carefully measure your kratom dose as it is easy to take an overly high one and end up experiencing kratom side effects.
It is generally advisable not to choose extracts that are higher than 20x. That’s because it requires longer processing time, which may not preserve all the alkaloids.
Kratom Extract Dosage Tips
When you take kratom extracts, you need to calculate your dose accurately. So, if you take an extract that is 10x, this means that each gram of the extract is equivalent to 10 grams of kratom leaf powder. Therefore, if you usually take 8 grams of kratom of raw powder, you should take 0.8 grams of the extract.
Once, you know what your dose should be, use a sensitive digital scale to measure it accurately. Since the extracts are so concentrated, you may easily take a dose that is too high or too low, and it can be challenging to determine what you did wrong and what to do to avoid that in the future. Because of this reason, extracts may not be the best choice for kratom beginners and inexperienced users.
Kratom Extract Powder Dosage
Kratom powder extracts can be the hardest to measure. This occurs because there are many different varieties of kratom all of which can have different concentrations. Therefore, you may need to accurately calculate your dose each time, especially if you take different strains.
Examine the packages of kratom extracts as they should contain the information on the concentration as well as dosage measuring tips.
Kratom Extract Tincture Dosage
Kratom tinctures come with a dropper, and, usually, they also have guidelines for how much the dropper contains and how to dose them accurately. Properly dosing potent tincture can be challenging therefore, always start with a smaller dose and gradually increase it until you reach your desired effects.
Kratom Resin Dosage
Out of the different types of kratom extracts, resins are the most consistent in terms of potency. Nonetheless, we still recommend using a sensitive digital scale as an excessive kratom resin can result in kratom side effects.
Have you used kratom extracts? Which do you prefer and why? Do you think extracts are superior to raw kratom powder? Why or why not?
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