You should know how much stronger is kratom extract than regular products. Discover how to determine the answer and how to use that info when enjoying kratom.
When it comes to enjoying your kratom, you have your choice of different forms of consumption, including extract. You hopefully know that kratom extract is stronger than other kratom products, but how much stronger is it? And what do we mean when we say it’s stronger?
The Difference Is Alkaloid Content
The difference comes down to the alkaloid content. Kratom alkaloids are the part of the plant that delivers the effects that you associate with kratom products. So, the more kratom alkaloids you have, the stronger the effects are.
Put simply, kratom extracts have a lot more kratom alkaloids per gram than other kratom products. That’s why beginners should stick to regular kratom products and it’s best to wait to try extracts until you have more experience with kratom. That way, you will know how much to consume to get the desired effects and better understand how your body reacts to it.
But how do you know how much stronger the kratom extract is? There are two main ways that products will indicate strength.
Alkaloid Content Differences in Standardized Extracts
Standardized extracts have a standardized amount of kratom in them. This can be listed in milligrams of kratom or a percentage, or both. For example, the MIT45 Kratom Boost liquid shot contains 200mg of 45% Mitragynine extract. When you see 45% Mitragynine extract, you know that 45% of the extract is Mitragynine, the primary alkaloid in kratom. The rest of the extract is made up of other alkaloids or inactive ingredients.
But how does that compare to the typical alkaloid concentration in kratom?
Dried leaves typically have a total alkaloid concentration of 0.5 to 1.5%. But the portion of those alkaloids that are Mitragynine varies greatly. In Thai varieties, for example, Mitragynine can make up as much as 66% of the alkaloids. Meanwhile, in Malaysian varieties, Mitragynine may only represent 12% of the total alkaloids.
So, if you look at a standardized extract, you won’t necessarily have a direct point of comparison as to how much stronger it is than a non-extract product. But you can estimate the difference based on the average alkaloid concentration of 0.5 to 1.5%. For example, a gram of dried kratom with an alkaloid concentration of 0.5% would have 5 mg of kratom. Or one with a concentration of 1.5% would have 15 mg of kratom.
Then, you can compare that with your chosen product. Take the MIT45 Kratom Boost shot with 200 mg of 45% Mitragynine extract. 200 mg of 45% Mitragynine extract means that there are 90 mg of Mitragynine alone, with the potential for other active alkaloids as well. Comparing that to the 5 to 15 mg of kratom in a single gram, this means this particular liquid shot has at least 6 to 18 times the amount of kratom alkaloids as regular kratom powder. But it’s likely higher when you account for other kratom alkaloids in the extract.
The following chart shows this process step by step:
200 mg times 45% = 90 mg of Mitragynine in the product
90 mg of Mitragynine in product divided by 5 mg of kratom in a gram = 6 times as strong
Or 90 mg of Mitragynine in product divided by 15 mg of kratom in a gram = 18 times as strong
You could do a similar calculation for any other product. For example, MIT45 Gold Kratom Capsules have 0.5 grams of 45% Mitragynine extract. So, they have about 225 milligrams of Mitragynine in each.
Alkaloid Content Differences in X Extracts
If you want to make a direct comparison between the strength of a kratom extract and a regular kratom product, then X extracts can do this. The number before the X tells you how many grams of kratom went into making each gram of the extract. So, a 50x extract means that each gram of the extract was made using 50 grams of kratom. As such, it will have 50x as many kratom alkaloids as regular kratom.
The following chart shows some examples:
Extract Type
Grams of Kratom Used to Make One Gram of Extract
Ratio of Kratom Extract Concentration to Regular Kratom Concentration
10x
10 grams
10:1
50x
50 grams
50:1
100x
100 grams
100:1
Conclusion
The strength of kratom extract can vary. When you compare kratom extract vs. kratom powder, you will want to check whether your chosen extract is standardized or an X extract. If you want a direct comparison of the strength, X kratom extracts are easier to figure out. However, the strength of regular kratom powders can vary as well, so you would have to look up the strength of the strains used to figure out what this means. By contrast, standardized kratom extracts tell you exactly how strong they are. But if you want to compare them to your favorite kratom powder, you will have to assume the strength of the kratom powder.
Whether you choose a kratom liquid extract, kratom powder extract, or regular kratom powder, always buy from an AKA-approved kratom vendor. And always start with a small dose of extract if you are used to kratom in its non-concentrated form, such as kratom powder or kratom leaves.
