What Is Kratom?
Kratom is a botanical harvested from Mitragyna speciosa, a species in the same family as coffee plants. It is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. In the regions where kratom is a native plant, the herb derived from the leaves of the plant has hundreds of years of recorded use by local and especially rural populations. Traditional uses range from brewing it into a tea for social and recreational drinking, to using it to fight fatigue, as well as in certain religious functions. While kratom is relatively new to users outside of its native region of cultivation, it has quickly grown in popularity as a botanical, and research into its potential applications or benefits is ongoing.
What Is Kava?
Kava is a botanical harvested from Piper methysticum, a member of the nightshade family, and is native to Western Pacific Islands including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The roots of the plant have played a significant cultural role in traditional medicine for spiritual practices, relaxation, and ceremoniously marking important life events. Similar to kratom, many beneficial effects are attributed to kava by traditional and regional users, though modern medical research has yet to fully vet or verify these claims or approve its use to treat any condition.
How Are They Similar?
Kava and kratom are both plants: kava comes from the root of the plant while kratom comes from the leaf of the plant. Both of these plants are ground into tea and consumed during celebrations for an alcohol-like, euphoric effect. In small doses, kava and kratom increase energy levels and relieve stress.
How Are They Different?
Although both kava and kratom produce calming effects, they react with your body in different ways. Kava contains kavalactones that influence GABA receptors in the limbic system and stimulate dopamine receptors. Kratom contains alkaloids that influence the mu and delta-opioid receptors in the brain and stimulate norepinephrine receptors. Kratom influences serotonin and blocks pain receptors, which produces a morphine-like effect that can become addictive. Kratom has been banned in many countries due to its addictive qualities and its future US legal status remains unclear. Kava, on the other hand, is non-addictive and gaining popularity in the US with no legal issues.
Differences in Side Effects
Kratom can act as a stimulant and a sedative that lasts between sixty and ninety minutes. The alkaloids cause effects that can include hallucinations, sleeplessness, nausea, sweats, constipation, itching, and even tremors.
You feel sedated and lack the ability to develop clear thoughts. Your speech is slurred and slowed. While you feel a euphoric high, it doesn’t last long. Once it wears off, you begin craving more.
Kratom, because it acts as an opiate, has characteristics that cause users to become dependent on it. When people try to stop using kratom, withdrawal effects can be very uncomfortable.
Kava makes you feel relaxed, mentally and physically. Your mood is uplifted and you feel good towards others. These effects last for several hours.
Kava has no known traits that cause dependency. Meaning, a person can stop using kava without experiencing painful or uncomfortable symptoms. Kava does not cause the brain to crave it once it wears off either.
Difference in Preparation and Use
Kratom is sourced from the leaves of an evergreen tree in places such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Borneo. Users typically chew the fresh leaves. However, some are now crushing the leaves into powder form to mix with liquids for drinking.
There are different forms of kratom: paste, gels, drink mixes, supplements, powders, and liquid extracts.
Kava is sourced from the root of a plant in places such as Hawaii, Fiji, and New Guinea. The roots are pounded into a powder which is then mixed with water. The liquid strained from this mixture is consumed.
While users can buy kava in similar forms as kratom, most users drink kava in the form of tea for the best results.
Individuals use kava simply because they want to feel calm and have a good outlook on life in general. Many Pacific Island natives still consume kava daily to relax after a stressful day. Kava is rich in cultural history, often used before ceremonies or religious events.
Colorado Springs’s Best Source for Kratom
Our online store offers the best deals on all its Kratom and Kava Products in Colorado Springs. We offer competitive pricing on all of our products so our customers can experience the benefits of kava and kratom. You can choose from anyone depending on your intake needs and price range or for the simplistic need of buying it for one of its many advantages.