1) Bali Kratom

Bali kratom is probably the most popular strain on the market. It was considered a standard for many years and even a vast majority of kratom companies offered this strain primarily. Leaves of Bali kratom strains are significantly darker than in other strains.

Bali kratom trees tend to go faster compared to other strains as well. We can divide Bali kratom strains based on the veins on their leaves (white, green, and red). Benefits of this kratom strain include:

• Energy Boost
• Analgesia or pain relief
• Mood Boost
• Relief from opiate withdrawal and addiction
• Appetite changes
• Certain sedative effects
• Relaxation

2) Maeng Da Kratom

Maeng Da kratom was created as a high-potency strain of red kratom which is found in Thailand and Indonesia.

What many people don’t know about this strain is that Maeng Da is a genetically-modified version of a tree in Thailand and it contains more alkaloid compared to the original kind.

Leaves are darker at first but become greener when they are powdered and crushed. Benefits of this kratom strain include:

• Energy Boost
• Improved mood
• Focus and clarity
• Enhanced memory and other cognitive functions
• Antidepressant effects
• Increased enthusiasm and stamina
• Aids pain management
• Improves sexual performance

3) Red Vein Borneo

Red Vein Borneo belongs to the group of the most prolific strains of kratom. As you can presume based on its name, this strain comes from Borneo, and it’s a popular choice for users who are looking for relaxation. Besides sedative effects, this kratom strain can also aid management of:

• Chronic pain
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Scoliosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

4) Red Thai Kratom

Red Thai is one of the most widely consumed kratom strains you can find on the market today. Compared to green and white strains, Red Thai kratom has a more relaxing and sedating effect.

After all, that’s a common trait of many red kratom strains – they provide relaxation thanks to the natural chemical that gives the leaves their unique red vein. Regular intake of this kratom strain delivers the following benefits:

• Pain relief
• Sedation
• Relaxation
• Better sleep
• Anti-anxiety effects

5) Red Kali Kratom

Red Kalimantan or Red Kali kratom is one of the purest strains of kratom that are native to regions in South Asia. Even though the effects of Red Kali are milder than those of Red Bali, they last longer. These milder, yet longer, effects are due to the fact that denser leaves of Red Kali take longer to get broken down in the body. Benefits associated with Red Kali include:

• Anxiety relief
• Anti-fatigue
• Pain relief

6) Red Indo Kratom

Red Indo Kratom comes from Indonesia, the biggest exporter of kratom. Different reasons could explain why Indonesia is currently #1 in kratom export but the most important one is that this country has the ideal conditions necessary for the growth of kratom.

Unlike Red Kali which is fully relaxing, Red Indo exhibits milder effects; which is why it is more energizing than its counterpart. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll experience a surge of energy, and it still belongs to sedating strains. Regular supplementation with this strain brings the following benefits:

• Pain relief
• Relaxation
• Anxiety relief
• Improved mood

7) White Vein Thai

White Vein kratom strains are truly unique because they provide an amazing energy boost that you need in the morning or during those times when you’re exhausted.

White Vein Thai originates in Thailand, and it comes with a wide spectrum of alkaloids which are responsible for the health benefits of this strain. Health benefits of this strain include:

• Euphoric effects
• Energy
• Pain relief
• Stimulating properties

8) White Vein Indo

White Vein Indo is yet another strain that comes from Indonesia, and it also goes by other names such as White Vein Sumatra Kratom and White Vein Borneo. This kratom strain provides a mild to moderate stimulation which can be useful for an energy boost and increased productivity.

Thanks to its practical effects, White Vein Indo can also improve your communication skills and boost motivation. Health benefits you can expect include:

• Energy Boost
• Pain relief
• Euphoric effects
• Anxiety relief

9) White Vein Kali

Compared to red vein strains, White Vein strains including Kali exhibit milder pain relief effects, but they are still existent.

This unique strain manages to retain some of the pain relief potentials while providing other important benefits, such as:

• Energy Boost
• Stimulation
• Pain relief
• Mood enhancing
• Relaxation

10) Super Green Malaysian

Green Malay Kratom or Super Green Malay has gained in popularity lately thanks to strong effects coupled with high potency.

Many users of Maeng Da, and other, strains prefer Super Green Malay because its effects last longer and these products tend to be relatively more affordable (it all depends on the brand, of course). Health benefits you can obtain through supplementation with this kratom strain include:

• Euphoric effects
• Energy Boost
• Mood enhancement
• Pain relief
• Increased motor and sensory function
• Improved motivation

11) Green Vein Kali

What makes Green Vein Kali kratom strain so amazing is its well-roundedness. While many strains exhibit a specific effect while other benefits are relatively mild, this strain manages to balance out different properties despite a relatively lower concentration of alkaloids.

This could explain why Green Vein Kali won the hearts of numerous people around the globe. Effects one can achieve through supplementation with this strain include:

• Solid energy boost
• Pain relief
• Mood enhancement
• Stimulation
• Relaxation

12) Green Indo Kratom

Green Indo kratom is one of the most famous strains today. The strain originates in Southern Asia, like many other strains.

What makes Green Indo kratom so unique is that it works well with other strains, thus allowing users to get the maximum out of products containing these ingredients.

Green Indo kratom is on the crossroads, i.e. it is placed right between white and red strains. In turn, it provides benefits that are characteristic for each of these strains. Benefits of Green Indo kratom include:

• Increased levels of alertness
• Energy Boost
• Creates mild euphoria
• Improved focus
• Makes you more sociable

13) Natural Enhanced White Sumatra Extract

The extract is always a great way to support your health and improve quality of life. It contains a high quantity of active ingredients and delivers them in different ways, based on a patient’s convenience.

Natural Enhanced White Sumatra extract was specifically created to contain 90% pure alkaloid extraction from white vein kratom only to combine it with the leaf of this tree.

The greatest advantage of this extract is that it delivers a more powerful version of white vein kratom. Besides pain relief and exhaustion, the extract boosts your energy levels too.

14) Natural Enhanced True Thai Extract

While the extract mentioned above was created from plants available in Indonesia, this extract features kratom from Thailand. You see, this extract was made from combining 90% pure alkaloid extract of Thai kratom and reapplying it to Green Vein Thai leaf.

The extract provides the same benefits as other Thai kratom strains. Regular extract intake results in a mild energy boost coupled with relaxation effects, pain relief. These benefits are a result of high-potency of the ingredient.

15) Ultra-Enhanced Indo Extract

Basically, this is a concentrated extract made from one of the most popular strains in the world – Ultra Enhanced Indo extract. It is made from White Indo kratom, and Bali strain is in the mix. Taking this extract regularly provides a number of useful benefits such as:

• Relaxation
• Pain relief
• Improved mood
• Stimulating effects
• Energy Boost

Even though the effects are similar to Bali Kratom, the higher potency of this extract allows it to exhibit improved pain-relieving properties.

16) Gold Reserve Extract

This powerful extract is a result of combining concentrated kratom alkaloids with a natural kratom from a leaf. This well-rounded extract provides both pain relieving, energy-boosting, and mood-enhancing effects while allowing you to calm down, get more sleep, and experience other relaxing benefits too.

Kratom Effects

Kratom has a strong effect on your anxiety, mood and energy levels. It lowers your anxiety level, while the feeling has been described as happy, strong, and active, with a strong desire to do work. The mind is described as calm. Thai workers use it to get through a hard day of work. Effects come on within five to ten minutes after use, and can last for several hours.

Most people describe the effects as stimulating and euphoric at lower doses, becoming sedative at higher doses. This is probably explained by the fact that mitragynine stimulates the delta opioid receptors when used in small quantities, but tends to increasingly stimulate mu opioid receptors when used in larger quantities. These are the same receptors that are stimulated when using opiate drugs.

Although the most important alkaloids are related to psychedelic substances, there appears to be no psychedelic activity. The dominant effects seem to be similar to opiate drugs, and include analgesia and cough suppression, but effects are also described as euphoric and stimulating. These effects are roughly comparable in strength to codeine.

There are some sources that suggest Kratom (like opiates) stimulates desire in women and reduces erectile problems in men. This is most likely explained by the effect of mitragynine on one’s anxiety levels. Other effects of mitragynine are a reduction in smooth muscle tone, local anesthesia, and central nervous system depression.

Acute possible negative effects include dry mouth, increased urination, loss of appetite, and constipation. Unlike opiates, mitragynine does not cause nausea or vomiting in most cases. Heavy use can result in a prolonged sleep. Read more about the effects of and warnings for the use of kratom on the warnings page.

Difference between kratom strains

There are several types of kratom available, and new strains seem to appear on the market frequently. However, in reality these are often commercial Thai or Malaysian types, sold under a different name.

Responsible for the difference in effects are genetic differences, causing a change in indole and alkaloid formation.

Bali: Users report that Bali kratom becomes narcotic and very relaxing at higher doses, while it allows for a more stimulating effect when low doses are ingested.

Thai: Thai kratom effects are said to be the longest lasting, and most sedating of all kratom strains. Nowadays commercial available Thai kratom is grown in countries other than Thailand, as it was banned some years ago. A normal dose of Thai kratom contains 3-5 grams.

Malaysia: Malaysian kratom is reported to be almost identical to kratom originating from Bali.

Maeng Da: (Thai) Maeng Da kratom is translated as ‘pimp grade’ kratom and originates from Thailand. It is the strongest kratom strain available today. According to users, Maeng Da is less euphoric than other strains, but it’s praised for its energizing effects. Critics say it’s more jittery than other Premium Thai strains, and argue it doesn’t last as long. The active dose is 1-2 grams. High quality Maeng Da is very green in color.

Preparing and using Kratom

Kratom can be ingested in a number of ways. While making a tea out of it is the most widely used method, alternatives method can help you get more out of your kratom.

Types of Kratom

There are different types of kratom on the market: leaves, powder and resin. Resin and powder are usually stronger than leaves, but the strength of each product also depends on the age and quality of the plants it was made from. Some sites offer what is called ‘commercial leaves’, meaning that these are a blend of leaves of different quality. These are quite good to make your own extract.

You will also find selected, high quality leaves or powder (which is usually just grinded leaves). These are usually more expensive, but you will need less. It is difficult to say which is best. You should try to find a reliable supplier that can guarantee good quality kratom.

Dosage

The dosage also depends very much on the strength of the kratom used. Usually 5-10 grams of dried leaves should be enough for inexperienced users. Lower the dose when using kratom powder, as it is usually stronger than plain leaves (3-5 grams). The same goes for resin. Kratom is not habit forming when used responsibly and not more than once or twice a month. However, regular users will feel the need to increase the dosage after some time.

Preparation

There are several ways of taking kratom. You can chew the leaves, smoke them, or make tea of it. This last method is the easiest way of consuming kratom.

In Thailand, kratom leaves are usually chewed fresh (usually after removing the stringy central vein). Dried leaves can also be chewed, but since they are a bit tough, most people prefer to crush them up or powder them first. You have to chew well for quite sometime. Most people drink warm water or tea after it.

Smoking kratom is another method, although this has no advantage over chewing or making tea, while the amount of leaf that constitutes a typical dose is too much to be smoked easily.

Kratom Capsules

A good way to ingest kratom without having to cope with the bitter taste is to fill capsules. When using leafs, make sure the material is finely grounded. It is recommended to use a milligram precision scale to measure the contents of 1 capsule. After weighing the contents of 1 capsule, you can repeat the process and fill up more capsules until the desired amount of kratom is used up. Use a capsule maker for convenient filling and look for size “00” capsules.

Arena Ethnobotancials offers excellent pre-made kratom capsules at good prices.

Kratom Capsules Dosage

The dosage for Kratom capsules can vary and depends on the type of kratom used, the individual and the contents of each capsule. However, as a guideline you can use the following dosage scheme:

For a mild effect (beginners dose) 1-4 caps

For a medium effect: 5-7 caps

For strong effects: 8-10 caps

We don’t recommend taking more than 10 kratom capsules, unless you experience tolerance from regular use. Always start with a low dose and wait at least 3 hours to see how your body responds. Make sure to check our Warnings and Guidelines page.

Making Kratom Tea

A tastier way of taking kratom is by making tea of it:

• put 5-10 grams of powdered leaves in a small amount of hot water and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes.
• add black or herbal tea and sugar or honey

A paste-like extract can be prepared by lengthy boiling of fresh or dried leaves. This can be stored for later use. Small pellets of this extract (which is also sold as such in various shops) can be swallowed, or it can be dissolved in hot water and consumed as a tea. Some people like to mix kratom tea with ordinary black tea, or other herbal teas, before it is consumed. This is done to make it more palatable. Sugar or honey can be added to sweeten it.

Another proven method is making a liquid tea-like extract. Following is a basic recipe found on the internet:

1. Take 50 grams of dried, crushed kratom leaves and put into a pot. To this add 1 liter of water.
2. Boil gently for 15-20 minutes.
3. Pour the tea through a strainer into a bowl and reserve the liquid.
   (squeeze the leaves in the strainer to get most of the liquid out).
4. Put the leaves back in the pot and add another liter of fresh water. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
   (after the leaves have been strained a second time, they can be discarded.)
5. Put the combined liquid from both boilings back into the pot and boil until the volume is reduced to about 100 ml.

The same general preparation method can of course be used with larger or smaller amounts of herb by simply adjusting the volume of water used. Kratom tea can be safely stored in the refrigerator for about five days. It is probably okay to keep it a bit longer, but it’s better to play it safe and not drink it after five days. It can be stored for many months if you add some alcohol to it. Adding about 10% alcohol will preserve it for many months (in the refrigerator). That is one part vodka (whisky, rum, vodka, or a similar spirit) to three parts kratom tea.

In general, it is not recommended to combine drugs. However, certain combinations have been reported by users to be pleasant and supposedly safe. Kratom can certainly be combined with ordinary tea without risk. It has been used with a tea made from red poppy flowers (Papaver rhoeas), which itself has an extremely mild narcotic effect, and with a sedating-euphoriant tea made from ‘blue lotus’ (Nymphaea caerulea). It has been safely combined with small quantities of alcohol, however large quantities of alcohol must be avoided. Some people report they like to smoke tobacco or cannabis while under the influence of kratom.

It is important not to use kratom too often. Please see the warnings page!