For years and years, humanity has been known for experimenting with plants and other botanicals for hunger, comfort, and pain relevance. And even today, people, along with science, take an interest in mixing various plants and products to alleviate their effects.
In modern science, mixing different plants to improve their effects and complement each other is called potentiation. Turmeric is known to enhance the effects of kratom and is combined to alleviate its pain-relieving properties. Since turmeric itself is an extraordinary substance with pain-relieving qualities and other health benefits.
While studies experiment mixing kratom with other substances, researchers are interested in the relationship between kratom and turmeric and how both of these fit so well together.
This article discusses the bond between kratom and turmeric, the health benefits they provide, their uses, and safety.
What Is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a spice mainly used in Indian, Pakistani, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. If you’ve ever had any Indian food, you’ve had turmeric. It is derived from the roots of the Curcuma longa plant, which is from a family of ginger plants. It is native to India and Pakistan as well as Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
It is used in cooking, and it gives that food a somewhat bitter taste and is why curry looks yellow. Besides cooking, it also is famous for being a medicinal herb traditionally in most parts of South Asia. Another fact is that it is also used in marriage ceremonies in India and Pakistan!
Now comes the correlation to kratom and why turmeric is known to be mixed in with kratom. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
When you’re in pain, your body releases pain-inducing chemicals with the help of a protein called NF-κB. Curcumin blocks NF-κB, and as a result, cells can’t release any pain-inducing chemicals.
Even though the concentration of curcumin in turmeric isn’t that strong, it is sufficient in pain relief. While turmeric may be famous for its pain relevance, this, by the way, isn’t the only reason it is mixed with kratom.
The Relationship Between Kratom And Turmeric
Potentiation Of Kratom
Most kratom enthusiasts who are well aware of the process called potentiation use turmeric to maximize the effects of kratom. As turmeric heightens the effects of kratom and bonds well with the substance, the idea itself is hard to ignore if it means you’re getting additional results even in low doses.
For many kratom enthusiasts, it is a way to increase the potency and longevity of kratom’s effects. This way, kratom consumers find a way to spend less money shopping for kratom products by using less kratom.
Besides turmeric, there are other kratom potentiators available in the market and used by kratom enthusiasts for the same reason. But they are not supported or backed by science as they may have some health risks involved.
However, when it comes to potentiating kratom with turmeric, studies find that curcumin indirectly supports and enhances the effects of kratom.
How Metabolism Affects The Potentiation Of Kratom?
Kratom is metabolized by several enzymes in the body, including CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4. Research suggests that curcumin can slow down the process of metabolization by restraining one of the metabolic enzymes. By slowing down the metabolization with the help of curcumin, kratom’s effects and duration last longer in the body.
So far, we know that curcumin is the compound responsible for enhancing the effects of kratom, some kratom enthusiasts suggest that only curcumin should be involved in the potentiation of kratom rather than turmeric. But of course, turmeric has a mild amount of curcumin content which potentiates accordingly.
Whether used for the longevity of kratom’s effects or to enhance pain relevance, turmeric works well with kratom on many ends.
Ready To Mix Kratom And Turmeric? Here’s What You Should Consider Beforehand
If you’ve made up your mind about trying out and potentiating kratom with turmeric, here are some of the things you should know.
Seasoned kratom users suggest that turmeric should be greater than the amount of kratom for the right potentiation. Turmeric should be around 2/3rds, whereas kratom should be 1/3rd.
If you find that your turmeric has some pepper in it, all the better. Pepper helps the body absorb the turmeric you consume, and hence, the more turmeric in the body, the greater the potentiation.
Now, if you can’t find any turmeric with pepper in it, your alternative can be theracurmin, which is turmeric but modified in a way that its particles are reduced significantly. To the point that it is easily soluble in water.
But keep in mind that theracurmin is much more expensive than regular turmeric or turmeric with pepper. It also has pretty much the exact effects of potentiation as turmeric with pepper.
How To Mix Turmeric And KratomÂ
Now comes the part that you were waiting for, so, before you’re ready to try this combination made in heaven, know that you should consume turmeric an hour before you consume your kratom.
If you need maximum potentiating effects, wait for turmeric to take its time to get absorbed, have your kratom dose, and voila!
The reason turmeric is suggested to be taken an hour before kratom is because turmeric takes time to slow down the enzymes that metabolize kratom and consequently, allow kratom to reach its maximum duration of action.
Of course, it depends on preference, as everyone has different metabolisms and other various factors that contribute to it.
Many people prefer curcumin over turmeric to mixing with kratom which can also be a great combination. Hence it’s up to you what you prefer to choose.
Using Turmeric Powder To Potentiate Kratom’s Effects
In Asian countries, turmeric is primarily available as a powder form and is known mainly as a spice. But in recent times, its availability has accessed many forms such as capsules, drinks, extracts, and even food.
However, if you aren’t sure about getting these processed forms of turmeric, you can simply use turmeric in its natural state or turmeric powder (which is grounded from its natural state).
Now comes the part of taking in turmeric; well, we have two great ways to suggest!
Turmeric Milk
One of the first is mixing turmeric in milk. Turmeric milk is consumed to tackle muscular, or bone pain since the properties of milk provides a boost to your overall strength.
Taking in turmeric milk is an excellent way of turmeric consumption, but you can add in honey for a different taste if turmeric milk tastes a bit bitter to you.
Turmeric Tea
The next thing on the list is turmeric tea. To make this tea, boil some water, and add two to three teaspoons of turmeric powder. Note that if you’ve included two cups of water, the amount of turmeric should be one to one and a half teaspoons.
Let it boil for five to ten minutes, and then pour it into your cup. To avoid the bitter taste, you can add sugar or honey for sweetening.
There are many ways to have turmeric, but the ones above are the most popular. You can find other ways by searching for turmeric recipes.
Precautions And Safety Regarding The Use Of Kratom And Turmeric
Like everything, turmeric also has side effects. Even with so many health-related benefits, turmeric can lead to gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea and nausea if used excessively.
Note that excessive use of kratom can lead to kratom toxicity, and you may face side effects such as dry mouth, seizures, constipation, etc. This is regardless of whether you’re increasing your kratom dosage or potentiating kratom without proper precautions.
While it is an exciting combination, there should be a limited aspect to mixing kratom with turmeric. Additionally, if you aren’t sure whether or not you should go for it, get professional advice from your medical expert to guide you to navigate mixing kratom with potentiators.
Additional Health Benefits Of Turmeric
Besides the potentiating effects of turmeric, it can also be a great source of many health-related benefits.
Turmeric is known to have a great profile when it comes to nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and it naturally has vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, manganese, iron, and potassium.
Unlike most spices, turmeric is low in calories and has many benefits of regular consumption. And so it can be enjoyed without getting into any kind of diet.
Curcumin, a compound in turmeric, is rich in antioxidants. Studies suggest that it helps reduce the amount of stress and can be beneficial in the long term since stress can lead to other health-related problems.
As mentioned above, curcumin also has anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing pain. And studies prove that curcumin can be great for tackling problems such as swelling or inflammation.
Conclusion
Mixing kratom with turmeric can be potentially beneficial in multiple ways, be it for health-related reasons or simply maximizing your kratom effects to save money on buying kratom products.
Just be cautious with the number of doses you might take; always research thoroughly before experimenting with potentiating, take suggestions from seasoned kratom enthusiasts, or better yet, consult with your medical expert beforehand.
While it can seem like a great combination, being riskless and taking precautions is the right way to go.