tea

4 Best Ways to Take Kratom: Which Do You Prefer?

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Kratom, officially known as mitragyna speciosa, is a very special plant extract. It’s a tropical tree that can be taken in many forms, and those forms have been used by societies where Kratom is native for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

From teas to powders to capsules, Kratom users around the world are mixing up how they will take their Kratom every single day! And really, there are a lot of different products and methods that they can try.

When you’re new to Kratom, you might not know how which method you want to try or what the difference between those types of Kratom really is. How can you know without spending months trying them all?

We’ll introduce all the pros and cons to you today so that you can make that choice for yourself!

Teas

One of the most common ways for people to take Kratom is by making it into a tea. You can use both loose leaf and powder to make tea, but you’ll need to spend a good bit of time figuring out the exact brew that you like and will enjoy drinking.

When buying loose leaf Kratom, it’s often known as crushed leaf.

Most people find that taking tea is the most effective way to enjoy Kratom. The basics of making tea are simple. All that you need to do is allow them to steep in boiling water for about 20 minutes before straining, but this isn’t the only way to make Kratom tea! In time, you’ll learn many methods.

There are a lot of different things that you can add to tea, but the most common ones that people find to improve the general flavor of Kratom tea are:

  • • Fruits (particularly citrus fruits)
  • • Honey
  • • Sweeteners
  • • Juice (lemon, orange, and pineapple are all great choices)

Regardless of what people recommend that you add to your tea, don’t be afraid to experiment! Only you can decide what flavors you like, and the only way that you’ll find the perfect combination is to change it up every single time that you make a batch of tea until you get it right.

Pros of Kratom Tea

  • • Easier on your stomach than other preparations
  • • Can add your own ingredients to change the taste
  • • Can be batch prepared in advance

Cons of Kratom Tea

  • • Takes time to prepare
  • • Can be very bitter
  • • Will need to try various adjustments to get the flavor right

Powder

The other most popular way to take Kratom is to use Kratom powder. Powder can be used as an additive to other drinks or smoothies, or it can be used more directly if taken by using capsules instead.

Because of how convenient taking powder Kratom is, this is quickly becoming the most popular form. It’s simple to buy in bulk, can be taken discreetly, and doesn’t require an acquired taste like tea does!

Some of our favorite ways to combine Kratom powder are into yogurt, smoothies, drinks, dressings, and more!

Kratom Powder Pros

  • • Tends to be more affordable
  • • Easier to buy and store in bulk
  • • Versatile
  • • Can be put into capsules for easy digestion & storage

Kratom Powder Cons

  • • Can cause upset stomachs due to increased amount of plant matter
  • • Powders can be messy
  • • Can be harder to measure unless using capsules

Tablets

If you are looking for a very easy and discreet way to take Kratom, you might want to try Kratom tablets or gum.

Kratom tablets are made when high-pressure machinery creates a tablet by simply squeezing the powder together as hard as possible. They stay together without any binding agents as long as the proper machinery is used to make the tablets. Plus, you don’t have to make them yourself as you might need to do with powder capsules!

Kratom gum is also available. You should keep in mind that gum will likely have binding additives, so you should decide if you are okay with that or not.

Tablet Pros

  • • Very discreet
  • • Easy to carry around with you as needed
  • • Easy to measure

Tablet Cons

  • • Might contain additives
  • • Might contain chemicals
  • • Might contain added flavors

Extracts

Like CBD extracts, it is possible to create a pure extract from Kratom plants. These Kratom extracts have been used for many years in some areas of the world and can be a great way to take a concentrated amount of Kratom.

The extracts are often called full spectrum kratom because as many alkaloids as possible are pulled from the plants. If you want an easy intake method, full spectrum Kratom extract is a great way to do just that.

The extraction method usually goes something like this:

  • • Ethanol, water, or CO2 solvents are used to soak the plant and begin the extraction method. Usually, this involves a certain amount of soaking and heating as well.
  • • The plant’s alkaloids are pulled out of the plants.
  • • The alkaloids solvents are blended with the base extraction, and other natural flavors may be added as well.

If you want to avoid taking any type of extraction that includes alcohol, you can always check in with us about which extracts do and do not contain alcohol!

Extract Pros

  • • Very easy to take
  • • Can be dissolved into other liquids
  • • Typically contain more alkaloids
  • • Need to take less product to be effective due to higher concentration

Extract Cons

  • • Missing balanced plant extract; contains most alkaloids
  • • Can upset some people’s stomachs

Kratom: The Choice is Yours

There’s not a single way that you have to take Kratom. Powders can be mixed into smoothies, or teas can be brewed with honey and lemon flavors to make a tasty concoction that you can enjoy when needed. Or, you can simply take a capsule or tablet to get a direct serving of Kratom powder.

The point is that there are no specific rules about how you have to take Kratom. You can try these different ways; you might even find that you enjoy more than one ingestion method! In the end, the choice is yours.

How to Prepare Kava Tea: 5 Methods To Try At Home

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Kava is one of those fascinating substances that has been around for a very long time. Once used medicinally and for ceremonies in Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian countries, kava has grown in popularity as a type of supplement in recent years.

With a 3,00 year long history, there are sure to be a lot of different ways that this substance can be prepared! The tradition methods can still be used, but there are also more efficient and effective ways to prep kava as technology has improved.

Today, we’ll introduce the various ways of making kava tea and help you understand how to prepare the tea properly.

Method #1: Traditional Kava Tea Preparation

The first way that you should learn how to prepare kava tea is via the traditional method. This is how the tea was brewed in many areas for hundreds of years. While it may be a less practical brewing method in today’s world, the rich history of this brewing method makes it a great choice.

This method might sound a bit wild at first, but this is really how the tea was prepared!

Kava root would be gathered. Then, female virgins were to chew this root into a pulp. Because the root is so tough to chew, it would be very difficult to do this, and it caused a lot of damage to the teeth.

Once the root was broken into a pulp, this was spit into a leaf. Water would be strained through the pulp in order to brew the tea.

As you can imagine, many young women did not want to have to keep doing this. Once they got married, they were no longer required to do this duty as it was something that only unmarried women were meant to do.

Method #2: Brewing Modern Kava Tea in Traditional Areas

If you visit areas where kava tea is still very popular due to its history in the area, you are not likely to see a team of virgin women chewing up the root. In addition to this not being very practical, it would be nearly impossible to make enough kava pulp for bars and visitors.

Today, fresh kava root is ground up using a manual grinder. Once the pulp is made, it is mixed with water and then strained through a fine, mesh strainer. This method, which is much more sanitary than the previous method, is much more manageable on a large scale.

Method #3: Kava Tea At Home with Strainer Bags

This is what you’ve been waiting for, right? How to make your own kava tea at home; coming right up!

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Put one part kava into a strainer bag.
  2. Put three parts warm water (not hot!) into a large bowl, and then put the strainer bag into the water.
  3. Reach your hands into the bowl and begin to knead and squeeze the strainer bag for at least 10 minutes. Be sure to use a lot of pressure.
  4. After the time is up, squeeze the bag as dry as possible.
  5. Consume it as quickly as possible!

As you can see, this method of brewing at home can be a bit labor intensive. Still, kneading the dry root with warm water in this way helps to break it down and release the beneficial antioxidants of kava more effectively than a short soaking.

Method #4: No-Kneading At Home Method

If you want to make kava tea at home but aren’t keen on the idea of kneading a strainer bag for 10 minutes, this is the method for you.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Get a fine mesh strainer for dry pressed root or a muslin tea bag for powdered kava.
  2. Add this strainer to your beverage of choice which should be cold or room temperature. Brewing in a hot liquid will ruin the beneficial properties of kava!
  3. Let it brew for at least 10 minutes; the longer, the better.
  4. Once brewing is complete, squeeze any remaining liquid out of the kava grounds before discarding them.
  5. Enjoy your drink!

If this still sounds like too much work for you, you may want to invest in instant kava. Instant kava mixes are made from pre-extracted kava. You can simply mix these into a beverage and be on your way to feeling better!

Method #5: Bulk Brewing Kava Tea

When you make kava in this way, you can make it in nearly any drink that you would like. While many people just use water, adding some type of fat can improve the extraction process. Try using all milk or mixing in one part milk to two parts water before brewing. You can even brew in a juice like a pineapple or a papaya juice!

Some companies that brew kava tea to sell it in bulk use a different method. In this method, the root is never ground up. Instead, the dry root is put into huge strainer bags with a lot of water. After it soaks for a designated about of time, big press machines press the liquid out of the bag to complete the delicious and efficient tea brewing.

This, of course, isn’t a method that you’ll be able to do at home. You can replicate something similar with a french press at home. Add kava and water to the press and let it soak for up to 10 hours. Press the kava tea, strain it, and then restrain the kava until it is not gritty. That’s it!

Explore Kava Tea Preparations!

Most kava tea preparations will have similar results as long as you do not accidentally deactivate the kava by using water that is too hot. Keep the water cold and explore different brewing methods until you find the one that is the easiest for you to do at home.

Remember, no matter how you brew it, kava tea doesn’t have the best taste on its own! Most people follow the tea with a chaser of fruit juice or another acidic and potent flavor that can cut away the earthy flavor of kava tea. Enjoy!