The Truth About Kratom Strains

No matter if you are new to kratom or if you have been using it for a long time, you most definitely have come across the so-called kratom strains. The enormous amount of kratom strains, types, and varieties makes it extremely hard for kratom buyers to make a final decision on what to buy, especially for newbies. But is there really a difference between strains, colors, and varieties? Or is it just marketing? We’ll try to bring some light. So, keep reading below to discover the truth about kratom strains.

What Is a Kratom Strain?

To know the truth about kratom strains, you must understand what this concept means. If you have browsed the internet looking for kratom to buy, you have probably noticed that it comes in 3 main colors: white, red, and green. And some vendors even offer yellow or gold kratom, which only adds to the confusion.

Besides, you may have noticed that the colors have additional subdivisions, such as Thai Red, Green Borneo, White Sumatra, and so on and so forth. This subdivision generally refers to the area where the specific variety grows.

The most important thing you should pay attention to when buying kratom is the color. So, for the purpose of discovering the truth about kratom strains, we will be focusing on the kratom colors in this article.

Differences Between Kratom Strains

As we already mentioned, there are 3 main kratom colors. Let’s review each one of them:

• Red vein kratom is the most popular, thanks to its relaxing and soothing effects. It’s used to ease anxiety, insomnia, opiate withdrawal, and pain relief.
• White vein kratom is mainly energizing and stimulating. People use it to get a boost of energy and to help them achieve focus at work. Some users also like its euphoric effects.
• Green vein kratom is in between red and white, making it the most versatile variety of them all. Also, green kratom strains tend to have fewer unpleasant side effects.

It’s important to understand the differences between strains before you purchase, to prevent experiencing unwanted effects. We recommend that you read blogs, or visit forums like Reddit, to make an informed decision before buying.

The Truth About Kratom Strains

So, now that you know what kratom strains are, and their differences, let’s dig into the big question: The truth about kratom strains.

Kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa is a tree that grows in the South East Asia rainforest areas. And there’s only one Mitragyna Speciosa species.

…Wait, what did you say? Only one species? Then, how is it possible that you get so many different strains if there’s only one kratom tree?

That’s the big question! The truth about kratom strains is that different harvesting and processing conditions will result in different strains. And this has nothing to do with the vein color.

Kratom Harvesting and Processing Methods

Most of the kratom powder that you can find in the American market comes from Indonesia. Kratom farmers in this area pick the leaves from the trees without selecting them first or separating them after. Then, they load trucks with these leaves and send them to the vendors who will later process them to produce the different strains.

Leaf Vein Colors

You must have heard that different kratom colors refer to the vein on the back of the leaf. Although there is some truth to it, this is not entirely correct.

Typically, young leaves show a reddish color on their veins. But this color will turn green when the leaf is mature enough. So, basically, the vein color only shows the maturity of the leaf.

How Are the Different Strains Made?

So, if everything comes from the same tree and the vein colors do not really matter, how are the different colors obtained? Here’s when the processing methods come into play. Different processing methods will result in the different colors that you know and love:

1. The process to obtain red kratom consists of fermenting the fresh leaves inside plastic bags for 3 days. Then, the leaves are laid out to dry indoors or outdoors depending on the vendor’s preference.
2. Green kratom process is even simpler: the fresh leaves are simply put to dry.
3. White vein is a mix between red and green kratom. And, to create the whitish color, the processors will add some veins to the mix. Kratom veins are usually stimulating, hence the energizing effects of the white vein kratom powder.
4. Yellow and gold kratom’s process is similar to red, but instead of 3 days, they will ferment it for 2 days. Finally, they add some white to the mix.

So, What’s the Truth About Kratom Strains?

Now that you know the processes to make green, red, white, and even yellow kratom, you may wonder: So, if you obtain all kratom from the same trees and the different colors from different processing methods, why are there differences among different colors? Where do Thai, Indo, Borneo, Sumatra, Maeng Da, etc, come from?

This is a great question with an interesting answer. As you know, most of the kratom that we see in the market comes from different regions in Indonesia. The region where it comes from will define the strain that you get, right? Well, not exactly.

To prepare the different kratom varieties, the vendors will mix different colors in different percentages until they obtain the final product. So, each vendor will have different recipes that will result in different products.

Does this mean that kratom strains are just marketing? Not at all!

Obviously, all kratom comes from the same trees, but different processing methods, i.e.: fermenting the leaves, leave them to dry, adding veins, etc, will result in different colors. Also, mixing and blending the different colors using different recipes will result in different strains with different properties.

So, as we always say, we recommend you research the strains before you buy to get exactly what you are looking for!