Kanna Vs. Kratom – An Ultimately Comparative Guide For The Beginners 2022

Regular use of herbal products has become a new normal in the world of meditation, especially for stimulating and relaxing effects. And undoubtedly, Kratom, the diverse form of Mitragyna Speciosa plant, seems to win the race effortlessly, but one competitor has vigorously challenged the growing popularity and use of Kratom; the Kanna.

Yes, the Kanna has become a favorite topic of debate among herbalists and medical practitioners all around the globe, especially in terms of its Kratom-like effects-producing properties. Many people mistakenly consider these products to be the same or related in some other manner, but it’s just spellings; let the whole story unfold, and that will surely blow your mind.

So, without any further ado, let’s get straight to the comparative origin of the Kanna and Kratom!

Kanna And Kratom – A Quick Overview:

The Kanna is a product of the Sceletium tortuosum plant, belonging to the Aizoaceae family, grown in the never-ending exotic wild regions of South Africa. It is a succulent plant, having tolerated watering properties and small sunflower-themed flowers that are crushed to make powder and other forms of products.

Kanna, sometimes referred to as Canna, means something to chew. It was considered a relative of the cannabis family due to its psychotic effects, but recent research has shown that Kanna has nothing similar to cannabis plants.

Although Kanna has been used for medication for hundreds of years by the natives now it is available in different forms like powder, capsules, or supplements or may be consumed in the form of smoke with a vaporizer.

While in the case of Kratom it is made from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa plant, related to the coffee family of dense and exotic jungles of Southeastern Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and forth. Its leaves are picked up from the trees, depending upon their veins’ colors, and then crushed into industrial plants to manufacture products like kratom powder, capsules, tablets, supplements, tinctures, gummies, and extracts. Unlike Kanna, Kratom leaves were used to make a tea of leafy solid taste on special occasions for the guests.

The reason for the rapidly growing popularity of Kratom is its opioid-like effects. Their optimum use can produce stimulating, energy-boosting, mood-elevating, and relaxing effects, depending on body factors and doses.

A Kratom is categorized on the following two bases; its vein colors and area of origination. Firstly, the Kratom is usually differentiated by their vein-color three and as below:

1. White-vein Kratom strains: the unmatured strains
2. Green-vein Kratom strains: the moderately matured strains
3. Red-vein Kratom strains: the most potent and matured strains

On the other hand, all the Kratom strains are identified by the name of their originating countries or location. For example, include Super Indo Kratom from Indonesia, White Malay Kratom from Malaysia, or Borneo Kratom from the Borneo islands. However, some of the strains are on general names like Red Dragon Kratom or Jambu Kratom, but they are still indications of their native places.

Kanna And Kratom; Doses And Its Effects

A small dose of Kanna is enough to give the user strong, stimulating, deep relaxation. You don’t have to take multiple high doses to get long-lasting effects from Kanna.

For a longer time, people in Africa used to chew, smoke, or brew its leaves’ powder into teas, but its remarkable effects were unknown to the outside world.

But as a lot of research and studies are not available on Kanna, determining its proper doses, effects, and adverse reactions on the body are challenging. Similarly, its safety level is another factor that makes this herb more controversial.

Although Kratom is not only a highly-controversial herb, it is banned in most European countries for use due to similar reasons, lack of research, and studies.

Not only this, but recent studies have shown that excessive or regular use of Kratom products is causing liver and kidney damage along with many other adverse effects. And to avoid such medical emergencies, the optimum dosage of Kratom is divided into several categories, ranging from 1 gram to 8 grams, depending upon the body weight, measurements, regularity of Kratom dose, and the direct effects the user is seeking.

Mostly, if the user is a beginner or planning to start taking Kratom products, a dose of around 1 gram to 2 grams is advised at the start and then gradually increased as soon as the user develops Kratom-induced tolerance. However, 8 grams is considered a limit, and no person, whether of any age group, body condition, or gender, is allowed to have more than this measurement unless to treat a disease by the prescription of an expert medical practitioner.  

Kanna And Kratom; How To Take Them In Your Diet?

As discussed earlier, Kanna and Kratom, both herbs, are available in different forms like powder, tablets, capsules, supplements, gummies, extracts, and tinctures. The most commonly consumed product is a powder that is taken by water.

For taking in powder, you can take the powder in a spoon and measure it with a kitchen scale. Then consume it and drink water on it. This is called the toss and wash method. You can take the supplements through the same procedure.

Moreover, if we follow what the people of older times used to do, Kratom teas made with their leaves are also a good option. The only resistance is its grassy taste and leafy smell.

And in the case of extracts, they are the most concentrated form of Kratom. That is why their effects are not only potent within a few drops but long-lasting also as compared with other Kratom forms.

But this isn’t the end. There is a thing called “Potentiators” that is entirely a new yet growing concept among the regular users of these herbs. Like Kratom, lemonade and grapefruit juice is one of the best potentiators that not only make Kratom’s effects potent but also last for an extended period. Many people use this potentiator to use small Kratom doses and save money or treat the grassy taste of the Kratom products.

But surprisingly, many people smoke Kanna with other products like cocaine, weed, and marijuana, and this is exactly where the boundaries set these two herbs apart. However, medical experts say that Kanna shouldn’t be smoked under any circumstances.

Kanna And Kratom; The Concentrated Chemical Profiles

Both herbs, Kanna and Kratom, have a highly-rich alkaloid chemical profile responsible for producing these psychotic effects. However, the types of alkaloids and other chemical compounds present are different in both herbs. So, let’s deal with them one by one.

Chemical Profile Of Kratom:

Kratom has a vibrant profile of alkaloids, especially mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, which make up 94% of the total chemical profile. These two alkaloids are not only very difficult to produce artificially but expensive also. They are mainly the reason behind producing the strong effects on its users. Other than these two, Kratom leaves also contain flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides, and many other chemical compounds.

Chemical Profile Of Kanna:

Just like Kratom, Kanna also has a chemical profile full of alkaloids that target the stimulation of CNS cells. The only difference is the types of alkaloids Kanna contains, which are mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol, tortuosamine, chennaine, and many other chemical compounds like tannins, terpenoids, and many more. Like Kratom, these alkaloids are also complex to manufacture artificially and expensive to sell in the form of medicines.

Can We Use Kanna And Kratom Together – An Ultimately Perfect Pair

And here comes the most exciting part, many regular Kratom users use Kanna powder in a small portion with their daily dosage as a potentiator. Yes, you read that right. A herb that is massively popular for its controversial image is serving as a substance to make the effects of Kratom potent and long-lasting.

And undoubtedly, the pair of Kanna and Kratom is actually working as it is specially made in heaven to comfort people with sleepless nights and stress in a pocket-friendly manner.

According to Kanna’s chemical profile, it is an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor), which means it manages the brain’s serotonin levels. And serotonin, our happy hormone, contributes to building an energizing and happy mood as well as a sense of well-being.

In short, the Kratom to Kanna and Kanna to Kratom both potentiate each other side-by-side, and their pair is one of the most exciting pairs to be used in the herbals.

The effects of Kanna and Kratom pair can last up to 4 to 5 hours, and the optimum dose for mixing them depends upon the following three factors:

● What are the body weight and measurements?
● How often will you be taking the product?
● What is the primary effect you are seeking from its use?

Still, make sure that you keep the dose of the Kanna less than the Kratom as a small dose can do its effects more promptly than the high doses of the Kratom.

Kanna Vs. Kratom: Should I Use Them Separately Or Altogether?

After all the discussion, we all agree on the fact that both herbs, Kanna and Kratom, are 90% similar, and the 10% differences are almost negligible. Still, whether you want to turn towards only one herb or use Kanna as a potentiator, make sure you are using the correct dose according to your body’s needs because a heavy or mismanaged does not only harm your brain and make you addicted but can cause toxicity in your other organs.