Top 5 Kratom Teas
Best of 2023

What is Kratom Tea?

A tree from the coffee family, kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) grows in Indonesia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. Kratom leaves contain active ingredients that have stimulating and opioid-like effects. ¹

Traditionally, the leaves are chewed or brewed into a tea and used to relieve pain, fatigue, and other health issues.

Kratom has also been growing in popularity in North America and Europe, particularly as a natural alternative to opioid drugs.

In this context, kratom is usually taken in its powdered leaf form. However, some people also brew kratom tea from powder or crushed leaves.

Kratom Tea Recipes

It’s difficult to find already-made kratom tea for sale. Most people buy kratom powder or leaves and make the tea themselves.

The simplest method involves steeping kratom leaf powder in a glass of hot (but not boiling) water and then drinking it in a similar way to matcha tea. However, this method isn’t the most enjoyable because of its texture and bitter flavor.

Another option is to boil water in a pot, add kratom powder, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. You should then wait for the powder to settle at the bottom and pour the tea through a cheesecloth, strainer, or coffee filter into a cup or a larger container to separate the powder.

Having said that, many people prefer to use crushed kratom leaf for tea because it’s less messy. Not to mention, it’s easier to separate the leaves from the tea and you can also put them in teabags.

Whatever method you use, keep in mind that you can enhance the flavor with honey and other sweeteners or add a bag of regular or herbal tea. Many people also add lemon juice for flavor and because of the belief that it can potentiate the effects of kratom.

You can drink the tea right away or store it in your fridge and drink it cold or heat it later on.

Potential Benefits of Kratom Tea

According to user reports and early studies, kratom can relieve pain, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, diarrhea, fever, inflammation, and opioid withdrawal symptoms, and may have euphoric, anti-diabetic, and muscle-relaxing properties. ²

Other reported benefits include enhanced libido, mood, focus, motivation, sociability, and empathy.

In Western countries, kratom is primarily used to relieve pain, anxiety, and other mental issues, improve energy and focus, and reduce opioid use and withdrawal symptoms. ³

Kratom Tea Strains

Kratom is typically divided into three main strains: white, red, and green. Red strains are considered more sedating and pain-relieving, whereas white strains are considered more stimulating. ⁴

There are also regional strains such as Maeng Da, Malay, or Bali, which are believed to originate from specific regions of Southeast Asia.

However, the truth is that kratom strains are nothing more than a marketing gimmick. Most kratom is sourced from the Indonesian island of Borneo.

Although kratom can come in three color varieties, these are the result of differences in the leaf drying process rather than different veins or plant varieties.

Our Criteria for Kratom Tea

Kratom is unregulated and not approved by the FDA. That’s why you have to be careful if you want to buy a safe and effective product. We use several criteria to find high-quality kratom vendors:

• Third-party testing — Reputable suppliers send their kratom to an accredited lab for potency and purity testing. Potency tests verify the levels of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two main active components of kratom. Meanwhile, purity tests check for the presence of mold, bacteria, heavy metals, and other potential contaminants. Ideally, you want your vendor to make the test results available on their website or with a product QR code.
• AKA GMP program — The American Kratom Association (AKA) is the trusted authority for all things kratom. It runs a good manufacturing practices (GMP) standards program to promote kratom product safety and quality. Vendors that participate are audited every year to make sure they meet strict kratom manufacturing and processing standards. All of the brands we recommend participate in this program.
• Pricing — We prefer vendors that offer high-quality products at reasonable prices.
• Transparency — We look for brands that are transparent about their business practices, such as how they source their kratom and what tests they do.

What’s the Right Kratom Tea Dosage?

The optimal dosage of kratom tea is different for everyone. That’s why we recommend the same approach used for CBD: start low and go slow.

Begin with no more than 1-2 grams of kratom powder or leaves in your tea and wait at least an hour to see the effects. If it’s not enough, you can try a bigger dose later on or the next day.

As a general guideline, doses of 1-5 grams are considered low and more stimulating, whereas doses of 5-15 grams produce more pain-relieving and sedating effects. ⁵

Potential Side Effects of Kratom Tea

Kratom can cause side effects that are similar to but milder than standard opioids. The most common side effects include: ⁶

• Nausea
• Constipation
• Dizziness or drowsiness
• Dry mouth and dehydration

Long-term kratom use can also cause dry or darkened skin and weight loss.

Serious side effects are rare, but there have been reports of agitation, vomiting, fast heartbeat, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and hypoventilation. ⁷

Regular kratom use can also lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it, such as muscle aches, difficulty sleeping, fever, runny nose, emotional changes, and irritability. ⁸

Additionally, there’s some evidence that kratom can interact with certain medications. ⁹