Stacking Kratom with Kava Root – What are the Benefits and is It Safe?

kava and kratom

Kratom and Kava are two ethnobotanicals that are often compared for their ability to promote feelings of relaxation and euphoria. Both grow in Southeastern Asia and have long been used in traditional medicine as well as by native cultures that took these substances for recreational purposes. Kratom Tea is popular today as an energizer and pain reliever while causing sedation and mental calmness at higher doses. Kava Kava is actually an alcoholic drink that was prepared for social events to boost mood, relieve anxiety and increase sociability.

Despite their similar benefits for the body and mind, Kratom leaves and Kava root have distinct mechanisms of action. As such, individuals who have experimented with combining the two or with blended products have found it to produce much more powerful results. Using a Kratom and Kava stack results in both of these substances potentiating each other, giving you a stronger effect. But questions remain about how Kratom and Kava interact in your body. What are additional benefits from taking them together and s it safe to combine these two ethnobotanicals?

Kava Root Introduction
Kava root, or Kava Kava, is a shrubby plant that grows in the Pacific West similar to Kratom. It has been used for thousands of years by indigenous tribes as a medicinal substance with sedative properties. Traditionally, Kava (Piper Methysticum) is prepared into an alcohol by grinding the roots of the shrub and then adding them to water. This was then consumed as a ceremonial drink not unlike how we in the West consume wine. Kava has similar relaxing effects to alcohol and is said to reduce anxiety, insomnia, stress and pain. It is used as a natural remedy for social anxiety and a 2004 study found it to improve cognitive performance as well as mood.

Kava root is believed to have a similar mechanism of action to benzodiazepines which are a class of prescription drugs with tranquilizer effects. Specifically, chemicals in Kava are observed to modulate GABA receptors in the brain to make this neurotransmitter system more active. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, used to calm the brain down when it is over-excited or over-stimulated. Kava Kava may also influence the Dopamine neurotransmitter which is involved in feelings of pleasure as well as motivation. Taking Kava Kava can leave you feeling slightly buzzed, release tension, quiet your mind and soothe or calm you.

Kratom and Kava
What is interesting about Kratom and Kava is that the two plants produces fairly similar psychological effects but they use very different mechanisms of action. Whereas Kava is a sedative and an anxiolytic because it interacts with GABA receptors, Kratom produces the same benefits by stimulating the mu and delta opioid receptors. Similarly, Kava boosts mood and mental performance by activating Dopamine receptors whereas Kratom shows an affinity for the Serotonin and Norepinephrine receptors in your nervous system This makes the Kratom Kava Stack a natural candidate to consider if you want to increase the strength of both of these compounds; since they work on distinct systems in the brain, it is conceivable that by combining them together you can affect mood.

If you do decide to try Kratom and Kava together to make the effects of both stronger, make sure that you have extensive experience with using Kratom on its own first. You should then try taking Kava root by itself to determine exactly how this plant affects you. Allow yourself at least one week of trying each independently before adding them together. Kava is generally described as a subtler version of Kratom with lower potency on its own. When you are ready to add Kava to your routine, consider cutting down to about half your typical dose of Kratom first; since the two potentiate each other, you will need a smaller dose of each in order to see the same results. A safe starting dose of Kava is 2-4 tablespoons, consumed either in powder format, by chewing the roots or by preparing a tea.

The effects of taking Kratom with Kava are described as being highly relaxing. If you commonly use Kratom as a stimulant to boost your mental energy, you will likely find that adding Kava counteracts much of this added energy. Instead, it can take the edge off from particularly stimulating strains of Kratom leaf or in larger doses cause you to feel highly sedated. User reviews say that this stack causes deep feelings of euphoria, contentment, and a sense of inner peace. This stack is believed to be highly effective for curbing anxiety and nervousness, while helping users overcome shyness and social phobias. It can also treat insomnia and make it easier to stay asleep throughout the night.

Is the Kratom Kava Stack Safe?
There are some serious questions about whether it is safe to combine Kratom and Kava Kava. Both of these compounds can produce adverse effects if they are used improperly and this risk is exacerbated when using them in combination. Negative side effects can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lack of mental clarity, excessive fatigue and difficulty controlling movements. Kava can cause liver damage with excessive consumption just like drinking alcohol. Do not mix this stack with alcohol or other drugs or pharmaceuticals. Both Kratom and Kava can be abused if they are taken in excess doses or taken too frequently. You should limit your use so that you do not develop a tolerance to the effects of either substance. When used appropriately, it may be possible to safely combine Kratom and Kava root in a stack, but not everyone will have the same reaction. If you find that this stack is not working for you, there are a number of other Kratom potentiators that you can try stacking with Kratom instead.