Kratom is widely available and cheap to buy, so why are people looking for kratom alternatives? Well, there are a variety of good reasons, including the fact that a lot of the alternatives to kratom are far cheaper.
But the first and most important reason is that kratom is not legal in many countries. This means you have to import it, which means it could be confiscated at your local border. Even in the USA, it can be problematic for moving kratom between states.
Secondly, kratom can be very potent, and people are nervous about the effects. Plus, they might not want to mess around with all the different types and colors of kratom to get the effect they want.
So let’s take a quick look at alternatives to kratom, list the most popular, and tell you exactly where you can buy kratom alternatives for prices that are so low it will surprise you.
Why Use Alternatives To Kratom
Sometimes people just want to try new things, and that’s cool. But it’s also about the legality of kratom. It’s a very gray area and some people are just looking for something that is more legally acceptable and more easily obtainable.
But whatever the personal reason, in order to clarify what the best kratom alternatives are, you have to look at why people are using kratom in the first place: what are the benefits of kratom?
Well, the main benefits of kratom that make it so sought after are:
- It’s a strong analgesic, meaning that it significantly reduces physical pain
- It has a strong calming effect, so it can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety
- Kratom can lift your mood, making it perfect for dealing with depressive symptoms
- You’ll benefit from significant increase in physical energy levels using kratom
- Kratom has the ability to sharpen your mind, giving you a range of cognitive benefits
Packing that all into one powder can be incredibly tough, so what are the alternatives to kratom that get closest to those significant positive benefits?
The Most Common Alternatives To Kratom
The following list contains five of the most popular kratom alternatives. That doesn’t mean that these are the only alternatives to kratom available, or that they are the most recommended.
It’s also important to note that everyone will react differently. Even using kratom, one person will react very differently to a certain type and dose to another person.
So the key is finding a range of alternatives to kratom, buying them, understanding the effects they have, and finding the best kratom substitute that’s best for you to experiment carefully with.
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Akuamma
Akuamma is often likened to kratom because, in Africa where it originates, it’s been used for many of the same purposes, and seen the same way socially, as kratom is in the East. Unlike kratom though, it’s not the leaves that deliver the active effects, it’s the seeds of the Akuamma plant. These are ground down into a powder for use, although occasionally they are chewed.
Just like kratom, this alternative is an alkaloid that interacts with the opioid receptors, although the active ingredient is slightly different in construction and effects.
Kratom is an agonist of the mu-opioid receptors which are linked to euphoria and analgesia, whereas Akuamma is an agonist of the k (kappa) opioid receptors, which are more closely linked to calming and disassociating effects (the incredibly potent Salvia plant also acts on the same opiate receptors).
So Akuamma is brilliant for calming the mind and focusing it, producing a strong set of effects that reduce anxiety. However it doesn’t have good pain-relieving properties and could be problematic for people who are already suffering from depression because of how it can lower mood further to achieve its anti-anxiety benefits.
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Mitragyna Hirsuta
As the name suggests, Mitragyna Hirsuta is very similar to kratom, which carries the Latin name Mitragyna Speciosa. But although they are part of the same genus (biological taxonomy), they are completely different species and the main active alkaloid that delivers the effects is structurally different, although also similar to kratom.
Mitragyna Hirsuta is little-known and doesn’t even warrant its own individual Wikipedia entry, but to the people who know about it, it’s a hidden gem. It works in the same way as kratom, being an agonist of the opioid receptors, and has significant pain relieving and muscle relaxing qualities, making it perfect for the people suffering from physical pain symptoms.
Also, similar to kratom, at lower doses, it stimulating, and at higher doses sedating. However, it’s not as potent as kratom, and at large doses can cause hallucinations. So it’s something to be taken at lower doses for a smaller kick in pain relief, energy, and calmness, without having to enter the entire world of kratom strains and vein colors
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Kanna
Kanna (Sceletium Tortuosum) is an African herb that has been used for millennia for a range of benefits similar to kratom. It was used in tribal medicine, and ceremonies because of the traits it promotes.
Kanna is another alkaloid, meaning it’s an agonist of the opioid receptors, so it’s the mechanism of action is again similar to kratom. The effects are to dramatically increase mood, lifting depression, as well as having a strong ability to reduce anxiety.
Mesembrine is the main alkaloid, which acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). So it has a similar range of benefits to prescribed antidepressant medication but without the addictive side effects. On the downside, it can be too stimulating, has no pain-relieving qualities, and definitely should not be used if you are already using antidepressant medication.
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Blue Lotus
Blue Lotus flowers have been dried out and ground down into a powder for thousands of years to produce their effects in the Middle East, the main region where the lotus plant grows. They were routinely used, and still are, in many religious ceremonies.
It is a potent relaxant and can also produce a strong euphoric rush. Some people say the experience is like laying horizontal and then flying through the sky. It’s not an alkaloid, instead, it works by inhibiting an enzyme in the brain that helps to break down the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. The net result is that more of these two neurotransmitters are available, which leads to a rush of positivity.
So Blue Lotus is a potent relaxer and mood enhancer, but at higher doses can be very sedating. On top of that, because of how it affects serotonin, it should not be used by people who have been diagnosed with depression, especially if they are already using SSRI medication.
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Phenibut
Phenibut is often used as an alternative to kratom, even though it’s man-made, it’s a synthetic chemical, not a herb similar to kratom.
Phenibut was constructed in the Soviet Union during the 1960s. It’s a central nervous system depressant, which acts as a GABA analog (it mimics GABA).
In terms of the effects it produces, it’s still prescribed in many Eastern European countries for anxiety, insomnia, physical irritability, ADHD, and other disorders that require the body and mind to be calmer.
So in terms of its calming effects, and its ability to focus the mind and produce mental energy, it’s a perfect alternative to kratom. However, on the downside, Phenibut has zero analgesic effects and can build tolerance quite quickly if higher doses are consumed. You can read my detailed phenibut review here.
Where To Buy Kratom Alternatives
All of the best kratom alternatives are very easy to obtain, especially if you are in the USA. In fact, all of them are legal in most countries, which is not the same with kratom, which is why alternatives to kratom are currently far more sought after.
Phenibut is widely available, and in the USA from two recommended sellers: Absorb Health and Science.bio. 10 g of Phenibut can cost as little as $12.99.
All of the other kratom alternatives mentioned here, the herbs similar to kratom, are available from a wide variety of sellers. However, there is one place where you can buy all of them for a brilliant price.
BuyKratom sells fantastic quality kratom, as well as Akuamma, Mitragyna Hirsuta, Kanna, and Blue Lotus. Prices are dirt cheap, as little as $7.99, with most costing no more than $12 each.
Better than that, you can buy a kratom alternatives variety pack for just $33.99. It contains seven herbs similar to kratom, including the four we have reviewed here. So not only can you try them and compare them for one low price, but you can also compare the effects to 3 other kratom alternatives.
So there you go, if you want to experiment with alternatives to kratom then the price to do so is incredibly low. On top of that, most of the herbs similar to kratom are widely available and completely legal in almost every country in the world.
Even Phenibut, a synthetic alternative to kratom, costs very little, and is widely available, although its legality is problematic in some countries in the same way that kratom is.
