Did you know that some parts of Southeast Asia have been farming kratom for hundreds of years?
While some of those reasons are sociocultural, others are physiological. It’s for the latter reason that kratom has recently gained such popularity in the Western world.
With that popularity has come concerns over the quality of some kratom. However, there are plenty of brands producing quality kratom, you just need to know how to tell the difference.
Keep reading to learn why quality kratom is important, how it’s tested, and how you know you’re getting the best product out there.
Why Is Quality Kratom So Important?
Kratom comes from a tropical tree in Southeast Asia. Typically, the leaves are dried and then bought in powder or in capsule form.
However, there have been reports of salmonella contamination in some low-quality kratom. Poor quality kratom can also be contaminated with other pathogens and bacterias as well as heavy metals.
Beyond potential contamination, finding quality kratom is important because of its qualities. It’s important that the reported potency is accurate for proper wholesale and resale.
Quality Testing Kratom
Kratom quality can be measured through a number of different tests. In order for those tests to be legitimate, they must be performed by an accredited, third-party testing laboratory.
A laboratory runs different types of panel tests to determine the quality of the kratom. The first of these tests are chemical panel tests. These check the kratom for contaminants such as pesticides or heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
Another important kratom quality test is a microbiology panel. This checks the kratom for pathogens and bacterias, such as E. coli, coliforms, yeast, and mold.
In regard to potency, labs test kratom for alkaloids. The concentration of alkaloids is an indication of the power of the kratom.
How to Find a Quality Kratom Brand
Even if a brand claims to test its product, you need to be careful where you’re sourcing your kratom. Some brands make this claim without ever testing their product, or only testing some batches. Others don’t test for everything they should be testing for, which is just as misleading and dangerous.
Look out for fake lab certifications. You can ask the brand for their lab certification and look for some telltale signs of authenticity.
You can tell that a lab certification is authentic if it comes from an accredited laboratory. Those labs will typically include a certificate number as well as their contact information, so you can contact them yourself if you’re unsure.
Another important thing to looks for is a batch or lot number. Listed on the lab certificate, this demonstrates that a brand tests all of their kratom, and not just some.
Looking for Quality Kratom?
When you’re looking for quality kratom, one of the most important things to look for is testing. Make sure your kratom is tested for chemical and biological contaminants as well as potency. And make sure that testing was done by an accredited, third-party lab.
Or, save yourself the trouble and have a look at our kratom products. We source some of the highest quality kratom available.