When you purchase any kind of plant product, whether it’s fresh or dried leaves or flowers, powder or extract, it will eventually degrade and its potency will diminish. This fact holds true for Kratom, even high quality, super concentrated product will deteriorate. The active compounds are most concentrated in fresh leaves, but the leaves become stale and the alkaloids less effective if they are kept too long. Some users swear that full or crushed Kratom leaves maintain their potency a bit longer than powders or capsules, but this is strictly anecdotal and has not been proven under controlled conditions. How long can you expect your Kratom to last and does it ever go bad?
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How Long Will Kratom Last?
To get the best results from you Kratom, be sure to purchase your supply from vendors that do high sales volume, so that you know you are getting fresh product and not something that has been sitting on a shelf for a while, and use your Kratom within one to three months.
That is easier said than done, though. Buying in bulk often allows your per dose cost to be significantly cheaper than buying smaller amounts, making stocking up a tempting proposition. Keep in mind, though, that buying it cheaper isn’t very helpful if you aren’t able to use it while it is still effective.
That said, if stored properly, it is possible to maintain the effectiveness of your stockpile for as long as a year or more. How long your Kratom will last and still be effective depends on a variety of factors. Here are some things you can do to ensure your Kratom lasts as long as possible.
Keep Kratom Fresh so it Won’t Go Bad
Kratom products are prone to chemical reactions that occur over time that can diminish the potency of the active compounds present in Kratom. One of the primary active compounds found in Kratom is mitragynine. Mitragynine is an opiate agonist and is the compound that gives Kratom its ability to relieve pain and induce relaxation. Over time, especially when not properly stored, chemical reactions turn mitragynine into the opiate antagonist mitragynine pseudoindoxil.
To prevent the reactions that cause this, Kratom products are best stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place with limited light exposure. To keep Kratom fresh for months, the environment should be stable and consistent.
Keep it Cool
Many users like to keep their Kratom in a refrigerator or freezer so that it stays as fresh as possible. While this is the ideal, it isn’t strictly necessary. An interior closet or other room without windows will help to minimize light exposure and maintain a constant temperature, which will slow the chemical reactions that degrade the alkaloids. Heat, whether from the sun or from keeping your Kratom too close to a heating vent, will speed up the rate at which the alkaloids degrade.
Keep it Airtight
Keeping your Kratom leaf in an airtight container will also help protect it against shortened shelf life due to oxidation. Exposing your Kratom powder to oxygen can cause cross-linking, a physiological process which can make the leaves grow stale. Exposure to air can also lead to a chemical reaction with the alkaloids, which also causes them to lose their effectiveness over time.
The best way to avoid exposing your Kratom to air is to store it in a vacuum sealed plastic bag so as to remove as much air as possible before sealing it tightly. If you do not have access to a vacuum sealer, you can also place your Kratom product in a Ziplock bag and be sure as much air as possible is squeezed out before sealing. This will go a long way to stop it from going bad.
Keep it Dark
Finally, UV rays from the sun will cause damage to the chemical makeup of your Kratom, so keep it in a dark place. If you’ve ever noticed how a picture or a piece of furniture will fade when exposed to sunlight, it’s much the same process. Ultraviolet radiation from light, especially the sun, actually causes damage to all kinds of molecular structures, including those found in pictures, furniture and your Kratom products. In the case of your pictures and furniture, they fade. In the case of your Kratom, the active compounds become less concentrated and less potent. Store your Kratom in a cabinet or closet and away from sunny windows or other light sources.
Keep it Dry
The next most important factor to consider when storing Kratom products is humidity. Even a small amount of moisture can encourage mold to grow in the powder or crushed leaves, especially in warm temperatures. If your Kratom does happen to develop mold, you will have to discard the entire container in order to avoid accidentally consuming any of the mold with your Kratom.
To prevent moisture getting into your Kratom and spoiling it, always store your product in an airtight container in a dry area. Along with simply preventing the breakdown of active compounds, temperature control can also discourage condensation from building up where your Kratom is stored. Ideally, you should place your powder or leaves in a tightly sealed Ziplock bag and the bag placed in a glass jar or other airtight container.
Make your Kratom Powder Last
Keep it cool, keep it dry, keep it airtight and keep it dark. As long as you keep all of these factors in mind when storing your Kratom, it will stay fresh for months, and you can even purchase it in bulk without having to worry about throwing it away before you can use it. Kratom does not go bad very quickly, but these steps will ensure it lasts as long as possible.
