If you’re brand new to Kratom, you’re probably looking to get more information on the best ways to incorporate this natural powerhouse into your lifestyle. You may be wondering how different dosages and strains may interact with your current habits and if it’s even right for you to use.
If you drink alcohol, you need to be careful about what kinds of substances you mix. Pharmaceuticals, botanicals, and other drinks can be dangerous if you do not know their potential interactions. If you are drinking, do not use Kratom. Here is some important information about Kratom and how it mixes with alcohol.
What Is Kratom?
Kratom is a powder created from the dried leaves of the Kratom tree in Asia. Also known as Mitragyna speciosa, this tree is indigenous to Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. Farmers harvest their crop of Kratom leaves, which are known to contain more than 40 different powerful compounds, and then begin the process of drying the leaves in sunlight. Some strains are fermented in bags and not exposed to any UV rays. From there, the processors crush or grind the leaves.
The entire process results in a fine powder, not unlike matcha, that can be used in teas, capsules, tablets, soaps, or ingested orally on its own or with food. There are three main strains of Kratom: Red, white, and green. Each strain promotes its own unique benefits. For example, red vein Kratom promotes peace and inner calm, white may boost motivation, and green may enhance your wellbeing.
Kratom and Alcohol
Since Kratom has been revered for its positive abilities that may help with things like inspiring your optimism, new users can be careless by combining it with other substances like alcohol after a hard day’s work.
Kratom and alcohol both have depressant qualities, so anyone wanting to mix them should proceed with caution. Too much alcohol on its own can shut down the central nervous system, which can stop your breathing and other essential bodily functions. Mixing Kratom with alcohol can exacerbate these complications.
Additionally, because Kratom does have some stimulant properties, alcohol can cancel these out, leading the user to think they need a higher dose of Kratom for it to be effective.
Alcohol’s Short- and Long-term Effects
The influence of alcohol has long been documented and anyone who’s had a long night of drinking can attest to its problematic nature. It is easy to develop a chemical dependency on alcohol when facing severe stress, if for no other reason than it is so readily available for purchase.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and each individual who imbibes may experience a different reaction. Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and the individual’s body composition, symptoms of having too much to drink can include drowsiness, distorted vision or hearing, slurred speech, upset stomach and diarrhea, impaired judgment, unconsciousness, or blackouts.
Binge drinking regularly can lead to longer-term problems. There are many health concerns associated with ongoing, sustained alcohol abuse. Cancers of the liver, tongue, throat, esophagus, stomach, and mouth are just some of the devastating issues that could arise.
Serious health issues such as stroke, high blood pressure, and other heart-related problems can be traced back to the high consumption of alcohol. Liver disease, ulcers, gastritis, nerve damage, and certain vitamin deficiencies are also linked to chronic alcohol use. Existing conditions can be exacerbated by drinking as well.
If you use alcohol as a regular stress reliever, you may want to take a look around for other available options. Long-term alcohol abuse tends to put more stress on the body than it relieves.
Alcohol vs. Kratom
With alcohol’s bad-boy reputation and vast legal availability, it’s easy to resort to a drink after a long day. Sometimes, this can lead to alcohol addiction when you really need a way to decompress after a high-stress encounter.
Kratom may help you manage your everyday stresses by boosting your wellbeing and promoting your sense of inner calm. You may find yourself feeling inspired with a renewed sense of optimism after a dose of Kratom in your favorite smoothie or tea. For busier days, a capsule of Kratom can help support decreased irritability and help you to maintain a more peaceful frame of mind.
Kratom Tea
With Kratom’s growing popularity, more individuals are crafting a delicious brewed tea with their favorite Kratom powder. The acidity in Kratom is similar to a robust, well-brewed green tea such as matcha, and chances are you already have the necessary tools to perfectly prepare it in your kitchen.
Kratom in tea form offers a slightly bitter, earthy flavor. Enthusiasts combat this bitterness by adding citrus flavors like lemon, lime, or grapefruit because these ingredients can actually help the benefits of the Kratom last longer while also tasting great.
If you are making Kratom tea, there is a potential of its beneficial alkaloids to be boiled away if it’s steeped for too long in hot water. When preparing your concentrate, start with boiling your leaves or powder for no more than seven minutes. This can ensure a great-tasting concentrate with all the beneficial properties intact. If the flavor is too strong, you can reduce steeping time to as little as five minutes without losing alkaloid potency.
Making Kratom tea concentrate is much like making traditional matcha green tea. To make your concentrate, boil your water on your stove or in an electric kettle. If you have a Keurig, run it with an empty pod to get hot water.
Meanwhile, measure out your Kratom dose. The ideal dose for Kratom is 2.4 grams, Do not exceed 2 doses in 24 hours. After the water boils, add it into the teapot and allow the Kratom to steep while whisking vigorously.
If you’re using the powder, you’ll want to let any small, undissolved clumps settle to the bottom of the pot while you pour the concentrate into a storage container, or use a cheesecloth to strain if necessary. If you brewed with loose Kratom leaves, strain these out before consumption as well.
The concentrate can be stored in your refrigerator to be diluted with more water, in teas, or even combined with non-dairy milk for a creamier experience. Add honey, agave, sugar, or your favorite sweetener to taste. This beverage can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Use your Kratom tea in place of your daily cocktail. Serve it chilled over ice with a slice of lemon on the side. If you enjoy peach tea, steep the Kratom with a peach tea packet for a bold flavoring.
If tea isn’t your thing, you can add a dash of the concentrate to your coffee. If you are using Kratom instead of a drink after dinner, mix your Kratom coffee with non-alcoholic Irish coffee creamer and top with whipped cream for a proper digestif.
Store your concentrate by sealing it in a covered container and keeping it in your refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Kratom Smoothies
Kratom smoothies are a terrific alternative to tea. Blending Kratom into a smoothie allows you to gain all the healthy benefits of the ingredients you’re adding while masking the earthy, bitter flavor that you may not find enjoyable. It combines well with cow’s milk and all non-dairy alternatives so you can blend it into a milkshake.
One of the benefits of using Kratom in a smoothie is the other ingredients you can add to increase the potency of it. As with your tea, you can add a variety of citrus juices to activate your Kratom’s best qualities. Specifically, grapefruit juice is a favorite because it is one of Kratom’s strongest potentiators. Additional ingredients that can boost your Kratom in a smoothie are apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and other citrus fruits like orange, lemons, and limes.
Kratom Juice
If you love a fruity cocktail on a warm summer’s day, create a Kratom mocktail using your favorite fruit juice. Because citrus juices potentiate Kratom, you’ll enjoy the benefits for longer. However, fruit juice is also known by veteran Kratom users as the best way to mask the taste.
You can mix your Kratom dose with orange, pineapple, grapefruit, and mango juices. You can even use lemonade. Mix the Kratom in with the juice thoroughly, then add ice. If you want to turn your mocktail into a fun spritzer, add soda water or ginger ale. Serve with a side of fruit or a drink umbrella, and boost your wellbeing without the harmful effects of alcohol.
The Take-home Message
Using alcohol over the years has proven to be a dysfunctional method for stress relief that is counterintuitive to your health. Seizing each day with Kratom, however, may help you kickstart a new lifestyle dedicated to holistic wellness. Do not mix Kratom and alcohol.
Combining different strains of Kratom into your favorite beverages and smoothies may help you find your inner peace easier through your day while keeping you optimistic and enthusiastic, even in the face of stress.
