Kratom effects can vary significantly depending on the strain, serving size, and people’s individual physiology. The following guidelines offer an overview of kratom serving sizes, so that you never have a bad experience with kratom.
Indeed, if you’ve read some of kratom’s bad press or heard from a friend who warned you about their experience, there’s a very good chance they simply consumed too much at one time. We’re here to make sure you don’t make the same mistake.
Quick Advice on Serving Sizes for Different Types of Users
It’s critical for new users to begin with lower amounts and increase incrementally to discover the most effective and safest serving. Typically, a kratom serving size range is between two and six grams—or a bit higher depending on your tolerance and body weight (see the chart below).
- Less than 2 grams is considered a small or first-time serving size.
- Between 2 and 5 grams is a typical serving for someone with an average kratom tolerance level.
- Over 5 grams is a larger serving size, which may indicate that your physiology is less sensitive to kratom or that you’ve developed a high tolerance to kratom.
Individuals who prefer the energizing effects of kratom often opt for a small serving size, while those seeking relaxing effects might choose a slightly larger serving size.
MOre Factors Impacting Kratom Serving Sizes
Individual variation
People respond to kratom differently due to factors such as body weight, metabolic rate, and existing tolerance to kratom. Trial-and-error and listening to what your body is telling you is the golden rule for kratom as well as most types of dietary supplements.
Body weight and body fat percentage
Your body weight and body fat percentage play a critical role in how quickly kratom is absorbed into your bloodstream and the duration it remains in your system.
Metabolic rate
Factors like age, body weight, and gender may influence your metabolic rate and the duration of kratom’s effects. Individuals with a faster metabolism may metabolize and eliminate kratom more swiftly, while those with slower metabolisms may feel the effects for a longer period after the same serving size.
Food and water
Eating food before or alongside kratom may help your settle your stomach, but it will also slow the absorption of kratom in your digestive tract. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you prefer a slow release and extended kratom experience. It’s also smart to take extra steps to stay hydrated to help your body process the kratom and to further reduce the chances of unwanted side effects.
Tolerance levels
Regular use of kratom, similar to herbal substances and caffeine, affects your response to it. Building a high tolerance may diminish the perceptible effects of kratom. It also means kratom will stay in your system for a longer period compared to occasional use.
Differences IN Strains AND EXTRACTs
Different strains of kratom can have varying effects; for instance, red vein strains tend to be more relaxing, white vein strains are usually more energizing, and green vein strains typically offer a balance of both.
Likewise, you may want to be extra careful with how much of our low-mitragynine Super K extract you take. This is especially if you’re used to basing your serving size on the amount of mitragynine in your kratom. Instead of mitragynine, kratom’s primary alkaloid, you may discover a particular sensitivity to kratom’s secondary alkaloids with our Super K products.
Variability
Kratom’s strength can vary based on several factors such as the plant’s source, age, and how it’s processed. Therefore, serving sizes might not be universally standard and could vary in their effects from one product to another.
KRATOM SERVING SIZE CHART
According to Kratom.org, this is a general recommendation of kratom serving sizes in proportion to body weight. Again, expect to modify your exact serving on a range of individual factors.
| Your Weight in Lbs | Your Weight in KG | Energizing Serving Size | Relaxing Serving Size |
| 80 | 36 | 2 grams | 3.5 grams |
| 100 | 45 | 2.5 grams | 4 grams |
| 120 | 54 | 3 grams | 5 grams |
| 140 | 63 | 3.5 grams | 5.5 grams |
| 160 | 72 | 4 grams | 5.5 grams |
| 180 | 81 | 4.5 grams | 6.5 grams |
| 200 | 90 | 5 grams | 8 grams |
| 220 | 99 | 5.5 grams | 9 grams |
| 240 | 108 | 6 grams | 9.5 grams |
| 260 | 117 | 6.5 grams | 10 grams |
| 280 | 127 | 7 grams | 11 grams |
| 300 | 136 | 7.5 grams | 12 grams |
How to Measure Your Kratom Serving Size
Although it’s common to measure kratom by volume (such as teaspoons or tablespoons), this method is less precise due to the different grind levels of kratom powder.
For example, a teaspoon of kratom usually holds about 2.3-2.7 grams, but a finely ground kratom can weigh up to 3.5 grams as it packs more densely. To more accurately measure loose leaf kratom powder, you can use any kind of ordinary kitchen scale.
What we do is a little of both. We weigh our first serving size anytime we get a new batch of raw leaf kratom powder. Then we put this kratom in a measuring spoon to get a sense of its volume vs weight. Then we just measure out our serving size from the rest of the bag by volume.
Serving Sizes for Kratom Extracts
Using teaspoon measurements for estimating grams of kratom powder is the big thing to know for raw leaf kratom servings. People who enjoy kratom extracts need a different kind of guide. These products use concentrated kratom and may have significant differences in their alkaloid composition designed to deliver specific effects.
For these products, it’s good to start with the product labels, but you should also know how to read these labels and modify your serving size based on your personal tolerance and overall experience level.
How to Read Product Labels for Kratom Extracts
Most kratom extract products will indicate a recommended serving size, but there is no single recommendation that makes sense for every user. Moreover, some kratom brands cater more toward new and inexperienced kratom users, while other brands prefer to cater to long-time users with a greater amount of tolerance.
In addition to manufacturer warnings and user tips, the most important things to look for are the amounts of mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and total kratom extract. Here’s why:
- Mitragynine: This is the alkaloid believed to be primarily responsible for kratom’s effects. It’s by no means the most potent alkaloid in kratom, but it is available in the leaves in relatively large quantities.
- 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH): This alkaloid is believed to be considerably more potent than morphine. (Some sources suggest it’s ten times as strong; others say it’s 17 times as strong.) In most kratom products, the amount of 7-OH is insufficient to deliver narcotic-like effects. This is why several states have banned kratom products that are more than 2% 7-OH.
- Total kratom extract: There are over 50 known alkaloids in kratom. Some extraction methods create kratom with lower levels of mitragynine. Even with a low, responsible level of 7-OH, these products tend to emphasize kratom’s ability to promote physical comfort and other soothing qualities.
As a very rough comparison with 2-8 grams of raw leaf kratom, serving size ranges for kratom extracts might be anywhere between 15-75mg of mitragynine or 20-150mg of total kratom extract.
How MIT45 Labels Our Products
As we relaunch our product line with Supplement Facts replacing the old Nutrition Facts labeling, you’ll notice we index our recommended serving size to a mitragynine content of 25mg.
Aside from extremely rare cases of a severe kratom allergy, we believe this serving size should be universally safe. Only those who are especially sensitive to kratom should experience any unpleasant effects at all. Even then, it’s most often just some mild nausea.
On the other hand, people who are less sensitive to kratom’s effects may not experience much at all with this serving size. If so, we recommend gradually increasing your serving until you find your personal sweet spot.
That said, we also need to explain that some of our kratom extracts have higher or lower concentrations of mitragynine. This means that while we believe a 25mg mitragynine serving size is safe for all our products, our low mitragynine extracts will have more of kratom’s secondary alkaloids and provide a different experience with more significant effects.
Still Have Questions about How Much Kratom to Take?
How much kratom is too much?
It’s probably best to answer this question in two different ways. How much kratom is too much for one serving, and how many servings are reasonable per day and per week?
While an excessive serving of kratom is unlikely to cause any lasting harm, especially if there’s nothing else in your system, we still recommend starting with a modest serving to avoid kratom’s potentially unpleasant side effects.
For ongoing kratom use, it’s best to occasionally go a day or two without any kratom use to see how you react. While kratom doesn’t have a high potential for abuse, some people more quickly develop a tolerance to kratom than others and should be more mindful of withdrawal effects.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to quote specific amounts that apply to everybody, but you can learn how much kratom is too much for yourself and how to have a great experience every time you take kratom.
What does kratom withdrawal look like?
While kratom doesn’t generally create intense cravings or serious withdrawal, regular users may experience certain side effects when stopping kratom use. From headaches and feeling a little sluggish to just being in a bad mood, some mild withdrawal effects are not uncommon and may be similar to stopping your daily coffee habit.
How do I take tolerance break?
If you take a break from kratom one day a week, there’s a good chance you’ll never need to take a more prolonged break. Still, for those who are concerned about their kratom use or have discovered ill-effects when stopping kratom, you’ll want to check out our guide for taking a tolerance break. We have tips for stopping altogether or for scaling back your kratom use gradually.
How long does it take for kratom to kick in?
For most people using most types of kratom, the effects are felt within 15-20 minutes. There are several factors that may influence the absorption and timing of these effects, however. Fast-absorbing strips and even some liquid extracts may be felt sooner, especially if you’re also on an empty stomach. Conversely, if you prefer to take kratom capsules with a meal, it may take 30 minutes or more for the kratom to kick in. Learn more about these factors and what to expect in general for the timing of your kratom experience.
How long does kratom stay in your system?
The half-life of kratom is 24 hours. This means your body can process and remove about half the kratom in your system each day. Practically speaking, this means that kratom will generally no longer be detectable in your system after about 5-7 days. It’s hard to make guarantees, however. Light or one-time kratom users with a fast metabolism may need only a couple days. Heavy kratom users with a slower metabolism may need longer than a week. You can learn more about the factors that may influence the time it takes to eliminate kratom from your system.
Will kratom show up on a drug test?
It depends. The short answer is that there is a test that can detect recent kratom use, but it’s rarely used in standard employment drug testing. We’re less confident about standard testing practices if you need to take a drug test for a highly sensitive position and/or for your parole. Learn more about kratom drug testing and how long it takes after using kratom for it to no longer be detectable in your system.
Ready to Give Kratom a Try?
Now that you have a better understanding of kratom serving sizes in general, remember to monitor your body’s reactions and adjust your serving size as necessary. Please, enjoy kratom responsibly.
Citations
Paul, Wade. “Kratom Dosage Guide – How Much Kratom Should I Take?” Kratom.org. Last updated May 2023.
References
Swogger, Marc T, et al. “Understanding Kratom Use: A Guide for Healthcare Providers” NIH.gov. Published March 2022.
Striley, Catherine W, et al. “Health Effects Associated With Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) and Polysubstance Use: A Narrative Review” NIH.gov. Published May 2022.
