It has long been established that cannabis boasts numerous health benefits, and can serve many a rewarding lifestyle and medicinal purpose, depending on your needs and goals. But how does it compare with kratom, an increasingly-popular plant hailing from the Southeast Asian region that has been in use for millennia by the local people and in various local cultures? Can kratom help you optimize your workout like CBD can? Is it a relaxant or a stimulant? Is it safe to consume like cannabis?
Given the fact that kratom is becoming readily available around the world, and that it is gaining popularity across the US, it’s important that we answer these and other crucial questions, and help you make the best decision for your long-term physical health, and mental well-being. With all of that in mind, let’s explore the differences and complementary features of these two medicinal herbs, and how they can enrich your life as a whole.
Alleviating acute and chronic pain
Pain management is one of the most highly sought-after effects of cannabis, as professional and amateur athletes, for example, need a reliable natural remedy to battle total-body inflammation, suppress pain, and ensure recovery in order to get back to training as soon as possible. Interestingly, both cannabis and kratom can be potent pain-relievers, especially when used in the right dosages as the analgesic effects of both plants can be heavily dependent on the potency of the product.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for a natural way to alleviate pain, you should start with lower-potency products and work your way up over time if the need arises. In some instances, kratom can be a more potent analgesic, however, you have to avoid overconsumption and stick with the prescribed dosages in order to avoid mild side effects and discomfort such as a loss of appetite, dizziness, and sweating.
Optimizing your sleep cycles
Another interesting fact about kratom is that it can act as a sedative and a stimulant depending on the dose, which cannot be said about CBD, for example, because it is not a sedative. In fact, CBD will either help preserve your current state and keep you from dosing off during the day, or it will actually promote wakefulness and get you to move about, perhaps even get you to go on a refreshing run. That doesn’t mean that CBD isn’t good for sleep optimization, though, as its calming effects can help you relieve stress and anxiety and thus fall asleep faster while ensuring a good night’s rest.
On the flip side, kratom can be used as a sedative and a stimulant depending on the strain you use. At higher dosages, kratom becomes a mild sedative that helps put your mind at ease and your body in a deep relaxed state. In turn, these effects can help you treat even those serious conditions such as chronic insomnia and ensure that you get a good night’s sleep every single night.
Banishing stress and anxiety
One of the biggest reasons why people turn to cannabis as a lifestyle supplement is so that they can stay in control of their psychological and emotional well-being, and manage stress and anxiety with ease. Coincidently, kratom brings the same benefits to the table, however, potency and quality are key because only the best kratom products can deliver the desired effects. This is why you have to do your research (same as you would for CBD dispensaries) and find the best kratom shops that can guarantee the quality of the product.
When used correctly, both cannabis and kratom can be used to fight stress and anxiety in the long term, but also help alleviate the symptoms of severe mental conditions such as depression. Because both plants can be used as stimulants, they will not put you down but rather lift you up and inspire you to take on the day with positivity and zeal.
Managing age-related conditions
Another way these plants help elevate your quality of life is that they can help fight age-related illnesses and chronic bone-degenerative conditions such as arthritis. When you reach a certain age, you become more prone to developing certain conditions such as sarcopenia (loss of skeletal muscle mass) and arthritis, which can bring about chronic pain that is barely manageable without strong prescription medication. However, using high-quality CBD or potent kratom strains can replace these addictive drugs and help you lead a life without pain.
Aiding opiate withdrawal
And speaking of addictive drugs, it’s also important to note that both kratom and CBD can be used to treat opiate withdrawal, as these natural remedies don’t cause addiction unlike prescription medication. Over time, relying on prescription medication will cause you to develop a tolerance and will therefore require you to up the dose to get the same effects, which can severely impact your long-term health. This is why using kratom or CBD to supplement these drugs and slowly weed them out of your life is a great way to regain your health.
Wrapping up
At the end of the day, there is no “winner” when it comes to these natural remedies. Instead, it’s important to understand that both can be powerful tools depending on your lifestyle, your goals, and your current needs. With this information in hand, you can go ahead and choose the best product to elevate your quality of life in the years to come.