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**Kratom** can bring many **mental and physical benefits**. Yet, these perks **depends a lot** on the **quality** of the Kratom you use.
Unfortunately, not all dried Kratom powders and Kratom capsules are produced to the same high standards. In some cases, the Kratom leaves are grown to a poor standard, so it is not of high or consistent quality.
In other cases, Kratom products you purchase can even contain harmful contaminants and undesirable additives. These can include pesticides and heavy metals that remain behind after the growing and harvesting process, and other contaminants added to the Kratom powder to help with preservation.
Fortunately, Kratom lab testing can help protect consumers by ensuring that the Kratom offered is of a high standard and safe for human consumption. Not only can these lab tests check for the highest quality, but they can also check for purity, which means that you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are consuming pure and fresh Kratom.
How Can We Help?
To help you understand Kratom lab testing, we cover why it matters and explain what is involved when performing these tests. From there, we will explain why it is important to only purchase your Kratom products from retailers that participate in some form of third-party lab testing program.
What is Kratom Lab Testing?
In most cases, an independent lab facility will run a Kratom sample through a series of tests to ensure that the sample only contains the ingredients outlined by the supplier. Since most Kratom powders are advertised as being 100% pure, the only substance the lab should detect should be dry powdered Kratom leaves.
The purpose of these lab tests is to search for contaminants, like heavy metals, mold, trace amounts of fertilizer, various pathogens, and more. Essentially, they are testing the Kratom to make sure it is pure and completely free from harmful contaminants that would make ingestion of that Kratom unsafe.
While the main purpose of Kratom lab testing is making sure that the Kratom is safe for human consumption, most tests will also check the potency of the Kratom by examining the alkaloid content within the sample.
What is a Certificate of Analysis?
After a Kratom sample is lab tested, a Certificate of Analysis will be presented, which will display the results. The most reputable Kratom retailers will make these Certificate of Analysis reports available for their customers. This allows the end consumer to check the potency, purity, and safety of the Kratom they are looking to purchase.
Importantly, the Certificate of Analysis will also clearly display the date of the lab testing to help customers know that they are not looking at an old and irrelevant set of lab results.
The best Kratom vendors also make sure that they send samples from every Kratom batch for laboratory testing, as this allows customers to view current Certificates of Analysis.
Why are Certificates of Analysis Important for Kratom?
If not for laboratory testing and the resulting Certificates of Analysis, it would be impossible to know the quality of a specific vendor’s Kratom unless you had it independently tested yourself.
Potency and purity are important when dealing with Kratom, so it pays to have a verified, third-party document that can attest to the quality of the Kratom you are buying.
What Will Be Displayed on a Kratom Certificate of Analysis?
Given that lab testing and the resulting Kratom Certificate of Analysis is meant to ensure the safety, purity, and effectiveness of Kratom powders and other Kratom products, a Kratom Certificate of Analysis will display the following:
Kratom Purity and Safety
Again, this is the primary objective of lab testing Kratom, so it is no surprise that a Kratom Certificate of Analysis will display any contaminants detected within the tested sample.
This can include the presence of any heavy metals, like lead, and any farming-related contaminants, like pesticides and other impurities that can result from the farming and harvesting process. If you are purchasing pure Kratom that is organically grown, it should be completely contaminant-free.
If the tests detect the presence of any unsafe contaminants, the Kratom Certificate of Analysis will reveal this.
The Quality, Consistency, and Potency of the Kratom
A Kratom Certificate of Analysis will also display potency information. In most cases, it will display the specific volumes and ratios of the different alkaloids found within the Kratom. Various factors, including strain, growing conditions, agricultural practices, and the drying process, can all impact the potency of a specific Kratom crop. That is why it is helpful to have a scientific and professional reading on the overall quality and potency of the Kratom carried by a specific vendor.
What Should You Look for as a Kratom Consumer?
Most Kratom vendors will advertise that their products are lab-tested, which is important as it shows they care about the health of the customers and the quality of their products.
Unfortunately, however, not all lab tests are performed to the same standards. Check that the retailer publishes the results of their tests or, better yet, displays a dated Kratom Certificate of Analysis for each product they sell.
American Kratom Association GMP Certification
The AKA’s Good Manufacturing Program (GMP) Certification is the gold standard for Kratom lab testing, as participation in this voluntary, third-party organization means that a vendor’s products are tested without warning through impartial laboratories.
The comprehensive tests performed as part of the AKA GMP adhere to the industry’s highest standards, so consumers will know that the retailer they are buying from actually cares about quality and safety.
Independent Laboratory Testing
Some Kratom vendors will further ensure the quality of their products by submitting samples for additional testing through an independent laboratory.
Again, just make sure that the dates listed for the laboratory tests are recent. A Kratom Certificate of Analysis from an independent laboratory will not be useful or relevant if it is months or years old.
Final Words
Given that the government doesn’t regulate Kratom, the responsibility to ensure safety and quality is on the vendors. If you want to buy high-quality Kratom products, find honest and transparent vendors who voluntarily submit samples for Kratom lab testing.
Look for participation in the American Kratom Association GMP Program, as well as recent Certificates of Analysis. By being a more diligent and informed consumer, you can ensure that the Kratom you buy is safe, fresh, and of a respectable standard.
