Kratom, scientifically known as mitragyna speciosa, is a plant native to Southeast Asia. It exists within the coffee family and so considering it as an option as an energy boost supplement isn’t too far of a jump – especially when you look at the plant’s history with humans and medicinal uses.
What’s the appeal? Aside from a solid few centuries of use, kratom is a natural option for an extra boost of energy when necessary. It is easily available and although research is lacking, there is still plenty of material to learn from when it comes to incorporating kratom into your life.
A Short History
Kratom has been used for centuries as a kind of traditional medicine. It has treated everything from open wounds, coughs, musculoskeletal pain, infections – and it is even used to stimulate sexual desire and appetite.
In some countries it is utilized by a host to welcome guests, or as part of a religious ritual, or by workers to fight off fatigue.
In 2010 a cocktail of kratom, cough syrup, and Coca-Cola became popular in Southeast Asia. It has since caused many problems across many different continents – but there are still some beneficial aspects of kratom that make it a reliable treatment for some ailments if used properly.
Utilizing Kratom for an Energy Boost
As previously mentioned, kratom leaves have been chewed by laborers to increase energy, the same way that many people drink coffee or energy shots to fight off exhaustion.
Like other plant-based stimulants, there are different strains of kratom that are geared more toward energy:
- Thai
- Vietnam
- Maeng Da
Out of the three strains listed above, Thai kratom is the most effective when it comes to increasing energy. It has a high level of mitragynine. Within the Thai strain there are a few different varieties – of those, ‘red vein’ is great for what is characterized as “clean” energy.
The Vietnam strain is one of the less popular and can vary between sedating and stimulating. It provides a more thoughtful kind of mental energy instead of the physical burst that Thai creates.
Maeng Da kratom is the most popular strain on the market. It not only provides energy, but pain relief as well – great for anyone working in physical labor or leading a demanding life.
Other strains of kratom have more sedative properties than stimulating; these include Borneo, Indo, and Bali. You can read more about using kratom as a source of energy.
Dosage
Although often chewed in leaf form or ingested as tea/powder, kratom is considered a drug as well. Because of this it’s important to take the dosage into consideration when ingesting kratom.
Negative side effects can include increased heart rate, respiratory depression, seizures, hallucinations, vomiting, and constipation.
In a strangely contradictory outcome, high doses of stimulant kratom will often result in sedation, and low doses of sedative kratom will result in stimulation. If you’re looking to use kratom for energy, aside from making sure you have the correct strain, take only a small dosage of it to better control and understand the effects.
Adverse Effects
In the late 1800s kratom was being used as an opium substitute in some countries. It has no medical approval for this type of use, nor is it suggested; but self-management of pain has led to misuse of the plant and overdoses are possible.
As with opioid overdoses, kratom overdoses can be treated with naloxone. One of the greatest risks of using kratom as an opioid substitute is respiratory depression. In this situation, breathing becomes slow and ineffectual. It can lead to respiratory arrest and damage to organs as they’re deprived of oxygen.
If you are interested in using kratom, please make sure to research and not just dive in blindly. Although it has centuries of proven power behind it, that doesn’t mean there won’t be hazardous effects if it is misused.
Unfortunately, despite its long history across many different countries, there hasn’t been much research done on kratom and its long-term effects.
Kratom Energy Products
Kratom is widely available as a tea, powder, and pill. There are plenty of product options on shopping sites such as Amazon that not only provide product information, but customer reviews and tips to guide you in the right direction.
Prices range from as low as $7 to as high as $50 depending on the type of product you’re looking for and the quality you’re interested in.
Keep in mind that this stimulant is going to have an effect on your body – so quality over price will be a good way to go!
Luckily, with kratom becoming more and more popular since the early 2010s, a few individuals have also written books on its history and use. Some are free, or very cheap, on Amazon Kindle, and they’ll be worth a look if you’re serious about incorporating kratom into your life for that extra energy boost you need from a natural source.