What Does Kratom Do?: 5 Questions New Kratom Users Always Have

For thousands of years, the kratom tree grew abundantly throughout Southeast Asia in relative seclusion. While other countries of the world remained oblivious to its existence, indigenous people in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia soon discovered the plant’s remarkable properties and developed a fondness for kratom, a powder they created from the plant’s leaves.

Eventually, with the advent of global trade, Southeast Asian farmers began exporting kratom to far away lands. Soon enough, the powdered leaf gained traction in the United States, Canada, and dozens of other regions.

Since then, kratom’s popularity in North America has only continued to grow. However, due to the plant’s relatively recent arrival and a lack of research, many Americans have more questions about kratom than answers.

Don’t worry, though: if you find yourself wondering what exactly kratom does, why it matters, what is kratom used for, and why you should care, we have some answers for you!

Where Does Kratom Come From?

The term “kratom” generally refers to the mitragyna speciosa tree, a plant that grows natively throughout Southeast Asia. As a tropical evergreen tree, mitragyna speciosa thrives in humid sub-tropic and tropic environments. At maturity, the tree can grow up to 82 feet and bears dozens of large green, glossy leaves year-round.

To create kratom powder, farmers begin by gathering the tree’s leaves. These leaves are then placed on large racks or hung to dry in the sun. When the leaves have finished drying, they’re ground using industrial grinders, producing a fine-grain kratom powder.

Until recently, kratom was illegal for personal consumption in Thailand and still remains illegal for exportation. However, kratom is also exported from Indonesia and readily available in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam.

What Does Kratom Do & What is Kratom Used For?

For centuries, various indigenous populations in Southeast Asia have used kratom for a wide variety of medicinal and recreational applications. Traditionally, natives living in Thailand and Malaysia have used kratom to treat various ailments, including muscle pain, intestinal infections, and coughing. Today, the plant also sees extensive use by manual laborers, who chew the leaves or brew them as a tea in the interest of relieving daytime fatigue.

In the western world, kratom is not recognized as a medicine. However, users often praise the plant’s versatile and distinctive aromas, which can range from being relaxing to energizing. In fact, kratom’s broad aromatic spectrum makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly what kratom does, as its effects can vary extensively.

This variability of experience is often attributed to the plant’s many varieties, which are often distinguished by colors and names.

What are Kratom Colors?

Most kratom available for purchase today can be labeled as white, green, or red kratom. In general, these designations refer to the vein coloration of the kratom leaves used to create a specific powder with white kratom having white veins, and so on.

However, despite the origins of the terminology, kratom vein colors aren’t purely cosmetic. Each vein color actually hints towards the general aromatic characteristics of each kratom strain, acting as a loose answer to the question “what does this kratom do?”

• White vein kratom is made with younger kratom leaves and seems to produce an energizing aroma
• Green vein kratom is made from matured kratom leaves and indicates a somewhat relaxing and moderately stimulating aroma
• Red vein kratom is made with fully developed kratom leaves and is associated with relaxing aromas

What’s a Kratom Strain?

Like kratom colors, kratom strain names exist as a way to differentiate between the dozens of available kratom powders. Although many strain names refer to a location of origin or growing technique, strain names can also indicate aromatic qualities and help buyers understand what a kratom strain does.

Some of the most popular kratom strains include:

• Maeng Da, a family of kratom strains renowned for their potency
• Malay, which purportedly originated in Malaysia
• Bali, a series of kratom strains sourced from Indonesia’s Bali region
• Thai, a family of kratom strains cultivated in the Kalimantan region of Indonesia
• Indo, a premium kratom family from Indonesia
• Borneo, sourced from the Borneo rainforest

Choose High-Quality Kratom at Kratora

Kratora has been supplying customers from around the world with all-natural and organic kratom products since 2013. Driven by our desire to share the earth’s most remarkable plants with the world, we’re always in search of the finest botanical sources.

Shop with us today to receive same-day shipping on orders submitted before 3 PM EST Monday through Friday and 1 PM EST on Saturdays (excluding holidays).

Please note that none of the products sold on our website are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.

Want to learn more about kratom quality and value? Start here:
Why Buying Cheap Kratom Can Be Dangerous