Swiroset.com

Because kratom is not FDA tested or approved, kratom can only be sold in the United States for burning as incense; it burns quite well, with scents reminiscent of a crisp fall day. I can’t tolerate ingesting kratom or kratom tea, but for those looking for a legal, effective, all-natural means of relieving chronic pain, for example from Lyme disease or spinal cord problems, kratom is a amazing blade and can offer the relief you seek.

Kratom is the dried and crushed (or powdered) leaves of the species Mitragyna speciosa, a tree that is native to Southeast Asia. The kratom tree belongs to the same botanical family as the coffee tree. It has been used as a medicinal and recreational herbal drug for thousands of years, offering stimulant (at low doses), sedative (at higher doses), analgesic, and (yes) euphoric properties, similar to those of opiates. Kratom contains alkaloids similar to pharmaceutical synthetic opiates, but is said to be much less addictive. In fact, kratom is sometimes used as a means of lessening the withdrawal symptoms of opiate addiction. However, if you are going to use it for pain relief, be careful and treat it with respect.

After 2 back surgeries and years of occasional but severe discomfort, I realized that I needed a non-addictive means of managing bouts of severe back pain that pop up from time to time; kratom fits perfectly into that bill. Kratom is an all natural solution that really works for me. Frankly, I’m not sure if it actually relieves back pain, or if it just makes me not care (because, frankly, it gives a really wonderful opiate-like buzz that feels GREAT!). I guess it doesn’t really matter; I occasionally use kratom, I feel better… period. Life is good!

Now, there are some who really enjoy the ancient ritual of boiling, dipping, stirring, straining and repeating to make a batch of kratom tea. In fact, some also enjoy the bitter alkaline and grassy green flavor of kratom tea…but personally, I don’t mind either. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the smell of fresh kratom leaves and powder, and I love the pain-relieving, mood-changing effects of kratom, but that bitter alkaline taste, the ingredient that makes kratom so special, it just turns my stomach. The preparation of kratom tea is not a ritual for me, but rather a necessary evil, a truly painful task that must be done in order to enjoy the benefits of the leaf.

BEER PREPARATION: I have found that using an old school coffee maker takes the pain out of brewing kratom tea. I bought an old 8-cup glass Pyrex coffee maker on eBay for $15, and it makes really good kratom tea. I would stay away from plug-in automatic coffee makers or kettles, because you will want to brew your kratom tea much longer than the typical automatic coffee percolator cycle. I really like my clear glass percolator for brewing kratom so I can see the tea darkening as I go. Find a reliable source of kratom…remember, kratom is usually sold as incense. Personally, I think it’s best to stay away from adulterated “enhanced” extracts and blends – I’ll stick with standard, all-natural kratom leaves.

Here is my simple preparation technique, you will need: – Half an ounce of crushed leaf kratom. Some use powdered kratom, but I personally don’t like it, because it makes a muddy kratom tea. – 2 liters of water (for two preparation cycles of 1 litre). – OPTIONAL, lemon juice (see amount below) – A stove top percolator. – Another container, such as a 2-qt. jug, to mix both brew cycles

LET US BEGIN!
1- Place the kratom in the brewer basket and pour 1 liter of water through the basket and into the brewer before placing the top strainer to moisten the kratom leaves. Then I like to make sure the kratom is evenly distributed in the basket after pouring. Some believe that adding up to 25 percent lemon juice with the water helps extract the alkaloids from the kratom leaf – this is a decision only you can make.
2- Once the water heats up and starts to seep, turn on the clock and let the kratom tea steep for at least 15 minutes… 20-25 minutes is more to my liking. Keep the flame as low as possible, a very strong boil makes kratom tea taste terrible!
3- After the first infusion, leave the kratom in the basket (you can press them with a spoon if you want, to extract more liquid, but it is not necessary), pour your infusion into a 2-quart container, then pour the second liter of clean water (or lemon water) through the basket filled with kratom and brew it too, like the first. strain… again, 15 minutes or more.
4- You will notice that the second brew cycle produces a lighter tea, because you have extracted all the good stuff from the kratom leaves, thus exhausting them.
5- Once I’m done, I discard the leaves (some people eat them, PUAS!), then mix the 2 infusions in the 2-quart container to chill. Some boil the mixture lower, to make a stronger tea… I don’t.
6- After cooling down a bit, I pour the kratom tea into clean plastic iced tea bottles, refrigerate what I’ll use in a few days, and freeze the rest. Refrigerated kratom tea will only last about 5 days, frozen tea will last for months.

MASKING THE TASTE: As I mentioned earlier, I hate the taste of kratom tea. While I was never able to completely mask the bitter taste and aftertaste of kratom tea, I have found that half a teaspoon of a commercial flavor extract per 16 ounces of tea will really help. My favorites are raspberry and peach, but spearmint and peppermint work pretty well too. I also add 2 teaspoons of sugar, Splenda, or Stevia. I drink my tea cold (iced tea), and usually with a straw, because I don’t like that numb feeling in my mouth, and the straw helps avoid old taste buds.

OTHER OPTIONS THERE ARE OUT: I’m a big fan of capsules…because there are almost no flavors. “Toss-N-Wash” is another option… place a teaspoon (or tablespoon) of kratom in the back of your throat and wash it down quickly with a liquid: a big gulp. I use orange juice, but others claim that there are actually benefits to using grapefruit juice, a reaction to the acids in grapefruit juice.

Believe it or not, toss-n-wash can sometimes leave less of an aftertaste than tea, but the big problem with toss-n-wash is that sometimes the kratom gets “stuck” in the throat, which it is not a pleasant experience. ! I have not tried to “throw and wash” anything other than powdered kratom. I can’t imagine trying to swallow ground kratom!

So there you have it… an “easier and gentler” method of using kratom. I certainly hope that my experiences and observations with this amazing ethnobotanist can help you and others reap the beneficial effects of kratom. Again, use kratom responsibly. Do not drive while under its influence, make sure you give yourself the time you need to enjoy the benefits of kratom; expect the effects of kratom to last for more than 4 hours and make sure you are in a safe and relaxing environment before using kratom.