Can’t decide whether extracts or powder is best for you? Although both forms of kratom can be effective, they differ in various ways, including
- Dosage
- Forms of consumption
- Potency
Deciding which is best for you will depend on factors such as your preferred taste, whether you’re new to kratom, and your budget.
I know it sounds like a lot of intimidating information, but I’ve got you covered. I’ll be happy to explain everything you need to know in this post.
Defining Kratom Extract & Kratom Powder
Both kratom extracts and powder are derived from the same plant, Mitragyna Speciosa, originating in Southeast Asia. The plant’s leaves contain two alkaloids, Mitragynine and 7-Hydroximitragynine, responsible for their medicinal benefits.
Extracts differ from powder because they contain a high alkaloid concentration, which is made possible via a different extraction process.
Powder is made by drying the leaves of a mature kratom plant. Once the leaves are dried, they are thoroughly ground and sifted to produce a very fine powder. That’s it!
Kratom extracts, however, requires a more intricate process. There are various ways to make extract, but the most common process is listed below:
- Large volume of kratom powder is boiled
- The boiled kratom is dispensed into a spray bottle
- Liquid is sprayed and water is allowed to vaporize
- Crystals leftover are the kratom extract
Extracts are much more potent than kratom powder because they contain a higher concentration of alkaloids.
Extract vs Powder Effects & Potency
Kratom powder and extracts’ medicinal benefits depend on the color of the plant used during the drying or extraction process. Different color strains produce a different combination of effects, such as:
Red Strains: potent sedation, relaxation, potent pain relief,
White Strains: potent energy
Gold/Yellow strains: moderate energy, moderate relaxation, moderate pain relief
Green Strains: moderate energy, moderate relaxation, moderate pain relief, potent mood boost
Although both kratom and extract are capable of producing the same effects, you can expect superior potency from extracts.
Extracts and powder are used to treat a huge variety of medical conditions by providing:
- Relaxation
- Pain relief
- Euphoria
- Energy
- Sleep
If you’re a new kratom user I highly suggest staying away from extracts for a few months. Switch to extracts once you have developed a decent tolerance.
Read More: The Best 2 in 1 Kratom Strain For Sleep & Pain
Extract vs Powder Forms of Consumption
Both extracts and powder can be consumed in various ways. If you don’t enjoy bitter flavors, I highly suggest investing in capsules or tablets.
Extracts can be consumed as:
- Tablets
- Capsules
- Liquid shots
- Tinctures
- Powder
Regular powder can be consumed as:
- Capsules
- Tea
- Toss & wash (swirling powder and water in your mouth and swallowing)
Extract powder is not the same as regular kratom powder. It’s much more crystallized. It feels almost like table salt, but the crystals are a bit bigger.
Each form of consumption will provide slightly different degrees of potency. For example, three grams of kratom powder taken via the toss and wash will produce more potent effects than 3 grams of powder taken as a tea.
They also differ in the amount of time it takes for you to feel the effects. Because tea is a liquid, the effects will be felt very quickly. Powder effects are fast as well, but capsules and tablets can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to produce any benefits.
To learn more about how to take kratom, checkout the link below.
Read More: How to Take Kratom For Max Result: Powder, Caps, Extracts
Extract vs Powder Price
One of the most apparent differences between extract and powder is the price, which significantly varies with each kratom vendor.
Kratom extract is more expensive than kratom powder for two primary reasons:
- More kratom plants are needed to create a higher concentrated product
- The extraction process is longer, which requires more time and labor
Naturally, because extract is more potent than powder, you can and should consume smaller amounts.
This begs the question, will the smaller extract dosage translate to a longer lasting product and thereby equate to the cost of powder, which requires a larger dosage, but cost less.
Let’s compare the price of kratom extract powder vs regular powder from Kratom Krush and see what we find.
- The cost of kratom extract powder is $40 for 25 grams.
- The cost of regular kratom powder is $42 for 500 grams.
- 0.1g of extract powder equals 1 gram of regular powder.
- The average powder dose is about 3-5 grams, so let’s use 4 grams.
- Therefore, the average extract powder dose is 0.4 grams
If you purchase a 25g bottle of extract powder for $40 and consume the average dose of .4 grams on a daily basis, you can expect it to last exactly 62.5 days.
If you purchase a 500g bag of regular powder for $42 and consume the average dose of 4 grams on a daily basis, you can expect the bag to last you exactly 125 days .
As you can see, not only is regular kratom powder cheaper, but it will also last you longer. HOWEVER, there is a big caveat.
When you purchase lower quantities of kratom powder, the price per gram rises. You have to purchase at least 500 grams of powder to beat the price of extract powder. A 250g bag of powder will cost you $30 and last 62.5 days.
Dosing Extract vs Dosing Powder
As I’ve previously mentioned, don’t use kratom extracts if you’re new to kratom. Their higher potency is much more likely to trigger side effects in new users.
However, if you’re as hard headed as I am, the best way to find your dose with any kratom product is to start small and incrementally add more on a daily basis.
For kratom extract powder, start with 0.2 grams and add 0.2 grams on a daily basis until you feel the effects.
For regular powder, start by taking 2 grams and add 1 gram on a daily basis until you feel the effects.
If you need help dosing other types of kratom products, checkout the article I wrote down below.
Read More: How Much Kratom Should You Take?
We all vary in size, weight, gender, tolerance, etc. Hence, be wary of universal doses suggested by other blogs as they can induce side effects.
Extract vs Powder Side Effects
Both extracts and powder can trigger negative side effects, the most common consisting of a nauseous headache, and, on more rare occasions, coupled with vomiting.
Setting off these side effects, especially a headache, occurs when a person consumes just slightly more kratom than their body can handle, which is a surprisingly easy feat.
Therefore, the best way to avoid side effects is to follow the process explained in the dosage section of this post.
Should you happen to experience a nauseating headache, eat solid food and lay down to mitigate the intensity. If the headache includes vomiting, wait until the vomiting has ceased, then eat and lay down.
Fortunately, both the headache and vomiting are not lethal, and go away on their own within a couple of hours.
I have experienced them myself on more than one occasion. Hence, I speak from personal experience as well as other testimonies.
A widespread rumor claims one of kratom’s side effects to be hallucination. However, after scouring the internet far and wide, and personally speaking to many kratom users, I can assure you the rumor is complete misinformation.
What Reddit Users Are Saying About Extract & Powder
The personal experiences provided by Reddit users have proven to be an invaluable source of kratom knowledge for me.
However, instead of you having to scour through every Reddit forum on the internet, I went ahead and summarized all the most important kratom tips I could find.
Here they are:
- Dosing extract is more difficult than powder
- Extract is more likely to trigger side effects
- Extracts are better for people with sensitive stomachs, as you can take less to achieve the same results
- Extracts can skyrocket your tolerance if taken daily
- Yes, you can encapsulate your own extract powder
- If you’re new to kratom, avoid extracts
Based on various Reddit forums, it’s very apparent that most people prefer using regular kratom powder, and suggest others do the same.
