Kratom: One of the Oldest Types of Holistic Therapy

Yoga, mindfulness, and matcha smoothies have come into vogue in the last few decades as types of holistic therapy to promote greater health and wellbeing among millennials. But while holistic remedies are introduced with a great amount of hype in the media, each of these superfoods, herbs, and mind-body practices actually come from decades, centuries, or even millennia-old traditions in their original contexts.

Twenty-First Century Craze or Ancient Remedy?

Kratom or Mitragyna speciosa is a tropical leaf from Southeast Asia that has become a ‘thing’ in holistic circles in the United States and Europe since it began to be imported from Indonesia in the early 2010s. Ten years on, kratom is now being sold in the form of powder, gum, capsules, and tablets to an eager audience looking for types of holistic therapy to provide a mood and energy boost and/or a natural way to calm chronic pain.

When you begin to explore the history of kratom, you will discover that this leaf from the Rubiaceae (or coffee) family has in fact been used for generations as a way to increase the stamina of laborers in places like Thailand and Malaysia. It has also been used as a readily-available folk remedy for a variety of ailments.

Which Symptoms Can Kratom Holistic Therapy Help With?

If you were to live in rural SE Asia before the Thai Kratom Ban of 1943, you might have used kratom leaves among other types of holistic therapy for any or all of the following issues:

  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Malaria
  • Stress
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle aches
  • Cough
  • Diabetes
  • Opiate withdrawal
  • Wound poultice

In contrast to pharmaceutical pills that isolate a single active compound, traditional types of holistic therapy like chewing on kratom leaves or sipping on kratom tea involve ingesting the entire plant and enjoying the synergy of its active compounds in just the right ratios. Kratom is also a superior choice among holistic remedies for side effects of addiction as some have reported the herb helps users ease off opiates and other harmful substances.

What Happens When You Take Holistic Therapy Like Kratom out of Their Native Context?

layered green hillside with small hut

In the humble, traditional communities where kratom originated, kratom use generally consisted of chewing on 1-3 fresh leaves, 3-10 times a day ‘ not dissimilar to the way that Andean farmers chew on coca leaves to help them suppress their fatigue, hunger, and thirst. Users could pluck the fresh leaves directly off the trees and know exactly where the leaf had come from.

However, when you live in another world region and don’t have that kind of ready access, types of holistic therapy like leaf-chewing become more complicated and dried-leaf powders can easily be adulterated with additional alkaloids, sub-standard kratom, and other substances. That makes it more important than ever to source your kratom powder from a legitimate, trustworthy company such as Koko Kratom.

Choosing the Best Holistic Supplements for Your Health

If you are thinking of trying kratom or other types of holistic therapy, be sure to research the substance carefully and consult with an integrative healthcare practitioner to see whether the substance is safe and appropriate for you to take.

At Koko Kratom, we sell pure, high-quality kratom powder that has been tested for its alkaloid levels and potential contaminants. Read more about our different kratom strains and don’t hesitate to contact our team if we can be of any assistance.