Life in the modern world is stressful. People find themselves overworked, overtired and overextended more often than at any time in history. Health experts say the truly relaxed grows rarer by the day – and the results show skyrocketing rates of chronic anxiety, insomnia, burnout, and other stress-fuelled diseases. Yet deep relaxation doesn’t have to be so elusive. More folks are discovering the calming secrets held within kratom drink preparations made by steeping the leaves of an age-old Southeast Asian tree medicine. Kratom refers to the oval-shaped, glossy green leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree native to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and surrounding regions. Documented kratom use in these cultures dates back hundreds of years as a therapeutic support system for enduring the rigors of heavy outdoor work. Locals commonly chewed the bitter leaves or steeped them into traditional teas to bolster energy, dull pain and relax weary bodies.
Today kratom’s healing properties are attributed largely to the thousands of biologically active alkaloids inherent within the leaf’s complex chemical profile. Scientists have extensively studied key compounds mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine alongside numerous less prominent players like speciogynine, paynantheine, speciociliatine, and others. Each alkaloid affects the body and brain uniquely, but many act as muscle relaxants while also interacting with pain processing pathways and pleasure/motivation neurological circuitry. This gives rise to kratom’s simultaneous sedative and stimulating qualities that make it so adept for calming yet energizing benefits in kind.
Red vein advantage
The notice kratom drink products labeled with color classifications like red vein, white vein, and green vein indicate the precise chemical ratios within each leaf batch. Red vein kratom strains consistently rise as the most relaxing variants. This is due to a preponderance of muscle-relaxing and sedating alkaloids like mitragynine, speciogynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and others compared to energy-boosting compounds. Using red kratom powders or tinctures as bases for drink recipes, therefore, amplifies the outcome of tranquil effects. Note that green and white kratom strains still retain calmative attributes (typically less pronounced at equivalent doses to reds) that also lend nicely to relaxation drinks when blended artfully with other soothing botanicals. But red vein varieties shine brightest as kratom relaxation superstars.
Soothing science of sipping
They wonder why steeping or blending kratom into artisanal drink concoctions heightens relaxing benefits over simply ingesting capsules or powder alone. There are a few good reasons for this:
- Improved taste – Beverages help mask kratom’s inherently bitter, astringent flavor that negatively impacts the experience if consumed straight. Stress levels naturally decrease when savouring flavoursome medicinal drinks.
- Amplified aromatherapy effects – Just as calming essential oils relax when inhaled aromatically, likewise smelling fragrant spices, herbs, and botanicals during mindful sipping sessions enhances the mellowing process.
- Bioavailability boost – Steeping kratom leaves in heated water releases more of the active compounds from within the plant cell walls compared to rapidly swallowing powder. More alkaloids reaching the bloodstream equates to increased effects.
- Convenience & lifestyle compliance – Preparing useful kratom drinks on the fly to stay relaxed whenever, wherever is more convenient long-term than strict regimens involving pills or messy loose powder.
