Why Use Potentiators?
For decades, people have been using potentiators with different substances to enhance their experience; this is not strictly done with kratom.
The word “potentiate” means to increase the power, potency, and duration of a particular substance. Using potentiators with kratom can help you save money, mask the taste and smell, and make the dose more effective.
Opioid potentiators include cold medicine, antihistamines, and alcohol. Opioid painkillers such as fentanyl and oxycodone can be heavily affected by consuming grapefruit juice.
Some say eating a mango before you smoke marijuana will make you feel more intoxicated. Kratom and lemon juice is another trendy potentiator combo.
For some substances, like opioids, using potentiators can be risky — even deadly. However, it’s usually safe to do with kratom, as long as you know what you’re doing.
How do potentiators work? What causes them to increase the effects of certain herbs and other substances?
Why Use Kratom & Lemon Juice?
Some citrus juice contains certain enzymes, specifically CYP3A4, which aids in the process of breaking down the compounds found within kratom and other substances [1]. Grapefruit juice slows down how fast the body metabolizes these drugs, making it an excellent potentiator. Lemon juice shows the same inhibition but to a lesser degree [2]. This slower processing makes your dose feel stronger and lasts longer.
The citric acid in citrus juices also helps pull out kratom’s alkaloids, giving your body greater access to them.
Beyond that, there are other reasons to try the combination.
Citrus juice is a powerful antioxidant and has multiple health benefits.
Lemon juice also compliments the flavor of kratom and serves for a better taste and experience overall. Lemon can do a great job masking kratom powder’s earthy, harsh flavor.
Lemon is also commonly added to tea in other parts of the world, so the flavor combo isn’t too outlandish. Lime is slightly different but can certainly be enjoyable, depending on your palate. If you want to enjoy something a bit more exotic tasting, go for the lime.
Some take it a step further and combine their kratom tea with lemonade for an even better taste. This way, the user can drink their kratom combined into a refreshing beverage instead of adding the citrus into their kratom tea. The taste is much more tolerable when you can mix it into another flavored drink.
Suggested Reading: Can You Cook With Kratom? 15 Food & Drink Recipes
The Best Ways to Use Kratom & Lemon Juice
Many enthusiasts enjoy mixing their kratom powder into a glass of cold orange juice, grapefruit juice, or lemonade. However, you can also opt for the toss and wash method and chase the dose with these juice options.
While drinking a full glass of lemon or lime juice would be far from pleasant, squeezing some into your kratom tea and leaving a slice floating in your cup is a great way to spruce up the flavor and mildly enhance its effects.
If you’re looking for a serious potentiator, drink an 8 oz glass of grapefruit juice with your dose of kratom on an empty stomach.
Other Types of Kratom Potentiators
Maybe lemon and lime aren’t your favorite flavors? While kratom with lemon juice is a good choice if you’re looking to boost your overall effects and enhance the taste of your tea, there are other options.
Many different substances and spices work well as potentiators for kratom.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is another excellent choice when it comes to kratom potentiators. Most individuals utilize ACV via the toss and wash method, using apple cider vinegar as a chaser. However, keep in mind that ACV is exceptionally tangy and has a unique flavor profile, so don’t attempt this method unless you know what apple cider vinegar tastes like beforehand.
If you can’t deal with the flavor of apple cider vinegar as a shot, try combining a tablespoon of ACV with your kratom tea.
If you want to go the extra mile, add some honey, cinnamon, or cayenne pepper. These additives will further enhance the bitter flavor of kratom and the acidic nature of ACV.
2. Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is a simple way to potentiate your dose of kratom. In addition, this spice promotes saliva production, aiding in digestion and boosting heart health.
Some individuals like to mix a teaspoon of cayenne pepper with 1 g of kratom powder and combine that with 8 oz of water. Start slow with the cayenne as some people aren’t accustomed to this type of heat.
Another option is creating a mix of cayenne pepper and kratom at home and filling your own capsules. If you’re not a fan of the heat on your tongue, you can always do this and still reap the benefits of cayenne and its potentiating properties.
3. Chamomile
Chamomile is another good choice for enhancing the relaxing effects of certain kratom strains.
Many enthusiasts combine their dose of red vein kratom with chamomile tea. This blend creates an even calmer, relaxed state of mind.
Next time you want to brew up a cup of kratom tea, try it with chamomile instead.
4. Turmeric
The active ingredient within turmeric, known as curcumin, is an extraordinary potentiator. To be more specific, turmeric powder works to potentiate kratom by affecting the way kratom is metabolized in the body.
Curcumin works to slow the metabolism process, like grapefruit juice, so the kratom lasts a lot longer.
Remember to take your first dose of kratom and turmeric on an empty stomach. You’ll want to do this because the kratom/turmeric will not need to battle for absorption space in your intestines, and you’ll get the best result.
5. Cat’s Claw
Theory suggests that Cats Claw may be able to lower tolerance levels for kratom consumers. This botanical originates in the rainforests of Peru and contains alkaloids that may help potentiate and prolong the benefits of your kratom dose.
While there isn’t much science to back this up, you could always test out this theory for yourself and see how well it works.
6. Coffee
Coffee is a good potentiator but serves the more stimulating effects of kratom better. The caffeine found within a cup of coffee complements white vein kratom very well.
If you need an extra boost, taking your kratom with your daily cup of joe may be able to help get the ball rolling.
Kratom is related to the coffee plant, so their similar effects work synergistically. The combination of these two substances will result in more energy and wakefulness.
Final Thoughts: Lemon Juice & Kratom
Regardless of how you do it, there are plenty of effective ways to potentiate your dose of kratom. Of course, kratom and lemon juice will always be a fan-favorite, while others like to maximize their overall effects with a tall glass of pure grapefruit juice and an intense shot of apple cider vinegar.
Using potentiators to enhance your experience is a great way to save money and make your product last a bit longer. It’s also a great way to avoid the harsh flavor of kratom, and it will also make the benefits more potent.
- Saito, M., Hirata-Koizumi, M., Matsumoto, M., Urano, T., & Hasegawa, R. (2005). Undesirable effects of citrus juice on the pharmacokinetics of drugs. Drug safety, 28(8), 677-694.
- Baltes, M. R. H., Dubois, J. G., & Hanocq, M. (2001). Application to drug–food interactions of living cells as in vitro model expressing cytochrome P450 activity: enzyme inhibition by lemon juice. Talanta, 54(5), 983-987.
