Can I mix kratom and ashwagandha? Whether you use kratom for pain, depression, or even fatigue, you will surely love the relaxation that it brings. But if you are fighting anxiety, you surely have heard about the properties of ashwagandha. This natural product seems to be a natural alternative for dealing with stress or anxiety. In this article, we will explore the calming properties of ashwagandha, as well as its uses. But we will also see how it compares with kratom and will even discuss whether you can mix kratom and ashwagandha.
What Is Ashwagandha?
If you want to buy ashwagandha, you will easily find it in local stores or online. But what is that powder that you find inside these ashwagandha capsules? What is ashwagandha? Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry, is an evergreen shrub originally native to the Indian subcontinent. However, today ashwagandha grows in Africa and the Middle East. The word “ashwagandha” means “horse smell” in Sanskrit.
For centuries, ashwagandha was a very important ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine, and people used it to keep good physical and mental health. Today, the use of ashwagandha has become very common in the Western world.
Properties and Uses of Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha for Anxiety and Stress
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb. That is, it helps your body adapts to stress, both physically and emotionally. Moreover, ashwagandha also reduces the levels of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is the hormone that creates stress, so to speak. It is responsible for the responses of your body in a fight or flight situation. This process is not bad per se, since it prepares us to act in a stressful situation. Moreover, cortisol has other functions, such as managing blood sugar levels and regulating your metabolism. Once your body realizes that the stressful situation is gone, your cortisol levels go back to normal. However, sometimes cortisol does not work properly, and its levels remain always high. Yes, as if you were in a permanent fight or flight situation, living always in stress. And of course, high levels of cortisol are also linked to anxiety disorders and panic attacks.
And this is when ashwagandha comes to help you. Ashwagandha helps your body reduce its levels of cortisol. Moreover, ashwagandha is also an agonist of the neurotransmitter GABA, which regulates stress and mood. Hence, ashwagandha is a great natural remedy to fight stress and anxiety.
But ashwagandha has other benefits for your health, such as:
- Has antioxidant properties
- May improve strength and increase muscle mass
- Improves fertility in men
- Reduces blood sugar levels
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
However, ashwagandha is mainly used to reduce anxiety and stress. And how does it compare to kratom? In the next section, we explore the differences between kratom and ashwagandha.
Kratom and Ashwagandha: Main Differences
What are the differences between kratom and ashwagandha? Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is also native to Asia. But unlike ashwagandha, kratom does not grow outside its native habitat. That is, you cannot find kratom outside Southeastern Asia.
Another big difference between kratom and ashwagandha lies in their legal status and availability. While ashwagandha is legal all around the world, kratom’s legal status is more complex. Indeed, kratom is not legal in many places. That is why, kratom is sometimes difficult to find, whereas you can buy ashwagandha almost everywhere.
And what about the effects? Here, we also find some major differences between ashwagandha and kratom. Even though ashwagandha has more properties, most people use it only to cope with anxiety and stress. But on the other hand, kratom has many more effects than ashwagandha. In fact, people use kratom to:
- Manage pain
- Cope with symptoms of depression
- Fight insomnia
- Get an energy boost
- Fight fatigue
- Improve focus and concentration
- Deal with opiate withdrawal
And, of course, many people also use kratom to cope with anxiety, fight stress, and relax. Kratom users praise the relaxing and calming properties of this herb. They also love how this relaxation mixes, so to speak, with the other properties of Mitragyna speciosa. For example, kratom users just love how they get an energy boost with a sense of calm when taking kratom for energy.
Can I Mix Kratom and Ashwagandha?
Can you mix kratom and ashwagandha? You may think that by combining these herbal products you will enhance their relaxing properties. However, the answer is not clear. While some kratom users report that combining kratom and ashwagandha helps them manage their anxiety better, others claim that they do not notice any difference. On the other hand, some users claim that mixing these herbs makes them feel drowsy or “stoned”.
In any case, each individual reacts differently to kratom or ashwagandha. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether you can safely mix kratom and ashwagandha or not. Nevertheless, there are still some precautions that you can take if you want to combine ashwagandha and kratom:
- Do not take large doses of kratom
- Be careful with sedative strains
- Write down your experience (doses, strain, effects, side effects…)
- If this combination does not work for you, do not insist
Also, one of these herbs alone may help you fight stress or anxiety successfully. If that is your case, maybe you should not need to add another active product to your routine. Remember that kratom and ashwagandha also have side effects.
