Kava vs. Kratom: What’s the Difference?
If you've spent any time browsing botanical beverages, you've probably seen kava and kratom mentioned in the same places. You may even have seen drinks that contain both.
That has led to an understandable, but important, source of confusion: kava and kratom are not the same thing.
They come from completely different plants, contain different active compounds, and interact with the body in very different ways.
Understanding that distinction is especially important when comparing a kava-only beverage with products that also contain kratom.
Kava and Kratom Come From Different Plants
Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant native to the South Pacific and a member of the pepper family. Traditional kava beverages have been consumed throughout Pacific Island cultures for centuries.
The primary naturally occurring compounds associated with kava's effects are called kavalactones.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), on the other hand, is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and belongs to the coffee family. Its primary alkaloids include mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
Despite sometimes appearing next to one another on store shelves, botanically and chemically they are very different substances.
The Biggest Difference: Kratom Has Opioid-Receptor Activity
This is perhaps the most important distinction for consumers.
Kratom's major alkaloids interact with opioid receptors in the brain. Kratom can produce stimulant-like effects as well as opioid- and sedative-like effects depending on the product and circumstances.
Regular kratom use can also result in physical dependence and withdrawal, and cases of kratom-related substance use disorder have been reported.
Kava's principal compounds, the kavalactones, have a different pharmacological profile. Kava is not kratom, and its characteristic effects aren't produced by kratom's mitragynine/7-OH opioid-receptor mechanism.
Why Do People Confuse Them?
Part of the confusion comes from a relatively new category of botanical beverages that combine the two.
A consumer might try a beverage marketed around kava without realizing that the formula also contains kratom extract. If they later hear reports of dependence or withdrawal associated with that product, it's easy to walk away thinking:
"Kava is addictive."
But when evaluating a botanical drink, you have to look at all of its active ingredients.
A beverage containing kava and kratom is fundamentally different from one containing kava without kratom.
What About Dependence?
This is where distinguishing the two plants becomes particularly important.
With kratom, repeated use can lead to tolerance, physical dependence and withdrawal in some users. Its alkaloids' interaction with opioid receptors is a major reason kratom has received substantial attention from researchers and regulators.
Kava does not contain mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine.
That doesn't mean kava should be treated as completely risk-free simply because it's a traditional botanical. Kava can cause side effects, can interact with medications and other sedating substances, and some kava products have been associated with rare cases of serious liver injury.
Responsible use and responsible formulation still matter.
But those considerations should not be confused with the opioid-receptor activity and dependence concerns associated with kratom.
Kava vs. Kratom at a Glance
| Kava | Kratom | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Piper methysticum | Mitragyna speciosa |
| Native region | South Pacific | Southeast Asia |
| Plant family | Pepper family | Coffee family |
| Major compounds | Kavalactones | Mitragynine & 7-hydroxymitragynine |
| Opioid-receptor activity responsible for characteristic effects | No | Yes |
| Physical dependence/withdrawal recognized with regular use | Not characteristic of traditional kava use | Yes, can occur |
| Traditional preparation | Beverage made from kava root/rhizome | Leaves chewed or brewed as tea |
What Is in Astral Herbal's Kava Spirit Elixir?
Our Kava Spirit Elixirs are kava products, not kratom products.
They do not contain kratom, mitragynine, or 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
We think that distinction matters.
Consumers deserve to know what botanical compounds they're consuming rather than assuming that every product sold in the botanical-beverage category is interchangeable.
If you're comparing two products, don't stop at the word "kava" on the front of the bottle. Read the full ingredient list and determine whether the beverage contains kava alone or combines kava with other active botanicals such as kratom.
Kava and kratom aren't two names for the same thing. They're two very different plants.