There’s a lot of hype out there online about kratom 100X extract—unfortunately, it’s mostly hype. We understand the appeal of stronger is better, but unfortunately, kratom 100X extract is at most a marketing gimmick and at worst an actual rip off. Why? Well, it has a lot to do with the chemistry behind how kratom extract is made.
Along with whole and powdered kratom leaf, Shaman’s Garden also sells several forms of kratom extract, from liquid extracts to resins and powders. Our extracts can be used just like the whole leaf in incense blends, aromatherapy preparations, and in research; some people may prefer kratom extract for these uses because it is a more concentrated form of kratom, with a higher concentration of active alkaloids such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. For one thing, since you can use a smaller amount of extract than unenhanced powder or leaf, kratom extract tends to be more economical despite its slightly higher selling price. Kratom extract also offers a purer form of some of kratom’s alkaloids that are of interest to researchers.
A Primer on Herbal Extracts
An herbal extract is a reduction of raw herbal material into a concentrated form which is a standard multiple stronger than the raw herb. The X on extract labels, such as 15X or 20X, refers to the ratio of fresh herb used to make the extract. For instance, if you have a 15X or 15:1 kratom extract, this means that 15 grams of fresh kratom leaves were used to make 1 gram of the finished extract. A 20X extract means 20 grams of kratom were used to make 1 gram of extract, and so on. Herbal extracts can be made using different solvents such as alcohol, acetone, superchilled carbon dioxide, and water. Though manufacturers have all kinds of fancy extracting equipment, it doesn’t have to be a complex process—if you’ve ever brewed coffee, tea, or kava kava, you’ve made a water-based extraction.
Kratom 100X Extract
So why should you be wary of a kratom extract that’s 100X? Two reasons. First of all, the alkaloids in fresh kratom leaves extract unevenly. Although mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the ones most people focus on, scientists have identified up to 25 active alkaloids in kratom, and more than 40 in total. All of these compounds leach into a kratom extract with different rates of efficiency, depending on their chemical structure and what kind of solvent (water, alcohol, etc.) is used. Unfortunately, this means that a highly concentrated kratom 100X extract will have a skewed alkaloid profile: some alkaloids will be overrepresented in the extract, while others won’t be present at all. To get a true full-spectrum extract where all of kratom’s alkaloids are represented in the same ratio as in the fresh leaf, it’s better to stick to lower concentrations such as 15X or 20X extracts. Any kratom extract over 20X, and definitely any kratom extract 50X or higher, will not be full spectrum.
Second, if you plan to use kratom extract in aromatherapy or incense preparations, a kratom 100X extract would be a waste of money. There is an upper limit to the body’s ability to absorb alkaloids and other plant chemicals, as well as vitamins and minerals. Even if you could obtain a kratom 100X extract that contained the full spectrum of kratom’s many alkaloids (which you couldn’t, for the reason explained above), you wouldn’t be able to absorb any greater amount than you would from a less concentrated extract such as a 20X.
A helpful example is vitamins. Researchers have long known that different factors, including the chemical form of a vitamin, limit how well the body can absorb and make use of that vitamin. This measure is sometimes called “bioavailability”. For instance, our bodies need folate, a chemical found in many leafy greens as well as standard multivitamins. Folate naturally occurs in the form of folic acid in some whole foods, and researchers are now beginning to think that human bodies absorb folic acid more easily than folate, which is the chemical form used in most multivitamins. Another reason it’s always important to eat your vegetables!
When it comes to kratom extracts, it’s probably for the best that there is an upper limit on the body’s absorption capacity. Otherwise, with such a strong extract it would be almost impossible to reliably measure the right amount for any kind of incense or aromatherapy use. To save yourself time and money on disappointing results, we think it’s much better to go for a 15X or 20X extract that you can be assured genuinely represents all the alkaloids in this complex and intriguing herb.
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