7-Hydroxymitragynine vs. MIT: How to Choose

Pros & cons of traditional kratom products vs. 7-hydroxymitragynine

If you’re curious whether the advanced new form of kratom extract, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is right for you—keep reading.

This powerful compound has several advantages over traditional kratom products.

7-hydroxymitragynine is highly concentrated and easy to dose on the go. It’s gentle on the stomach and doesn’t involve consuming any plant matter. And, it contains high amounts of the most powerful bioactive alkaloid in kratom.

However, that doesn’t automatically mean 7-hydroxymitragynine is the right choice for every kratom enthusiast.

In this article, we’ll look at the benefits and drawbacks of 7-hydroxymitragynine compared to regular kratom, so you can decide which is best for you.

 

Kratom and Mitragynine

Kratom has been used in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. It is traditionally consumed to improve work productivity and decrease fatigue.

In the early 2000s, it was clear that kratom use was reasonably common in the U.S. And by 2010, there was significant interest among medical researchers about potential therapeutic uses of this unique plant.

Most early kratom research focused on mitragynine. As the most abundant psychoactive alkaloid in kratom, it was initially thought that mitragynine was responsible for the majority of the effects of kratom (mainly through its activity on human opioid receptors).

That was until a landmark study in 2019 found that another alkaloid in kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, was actually 10x more potent than mitragynine!

 

What is 7-Hydroxymitragynine?

7-hydroxymitragynine is present in trace amounts in kratom leaves. It typically constitutes less than 0.05% of dry kratom leaf mass. This concentration is far lower than mitragynine, which makes up between 1 and 6% of the dry weight of kratom leaves.

However, when mitragynine is consumed, the human body actually converts some of it into 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Considering that 7-hydroxymitragynine has a far greater effect on human opioid receptors than mitragynine (up to 28 times more active, depending on receptor type), researchers now believe that 7-hydroxymitragynine is actually the main active ingredient of kratom.

Key facts about 7-hydroxymitragynine

• At least 10x more potent than mitragynine
• Only present in trace amounts in kratom leaf
• Some mitragynine is converted into 7-hydroxymitragynine in the human body

 

Regular Kratom vs. 7-Hydroxy

To help you decide whether 7-Hydroz or a regular kratom product is right for you, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each below.

	Regular Kratom	7-Hydroz
Availability	Currently available in more stores due to the length of time in market	New product, so distribution is not as widespread as regular kratom (yet)
Price	Differs widely. Because of natural variation and quality issues, the price per dose can be difficult to calculate	Ultra-concentrated nature and high amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine means the effective price per dose can be equal to or lower than regular kratom
Convenience	No truly convenient options. Dosing involves handling loose powder, measuring harsh-tasting extract, or swallowing several capsules	Offers unmatched convenience, with easy-to-carry and consume pre-measured tablets
Purity and contamination	Potential for heavy metals, mold, and other contaminants to be present from the growing and processing conditions	Highly purified product that has been separated from all plant material. Any contaminants and production by-products are completely removed
Consistency of effects	Unpredictable results, as changes in the growing conditions can lead to large variations in the concentration of mitragynine and other alkaloids in the final product  Individual differences impact how much mitragynine is converted to 7-hydroxymitragynine in the body Effects may be reduced when taken after food	Standardized to contain the exact same amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine (the main active ingredient in kratom) in every dose 7-hydroxymitragynine does not need to be converted further by the body 7-hydroxymitragynine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, so not as impacted by digestion
Strength	Difficult to consume in higher doses Dry powder tastes awful and is difficult to swallow Extract tastes even worse than powder Need to swallow multiple capsules to reach a higher dose Edibles and drinks often contain only a very small amount of kratom (to avoid the bad taste)	Moderate to strong doses are easy to consume Avoids all of the challenges with higher doses of regular kratom products
Taste	Dry powder and extracts taste incredibly harsh and bitter	Minimal to no taste. Natural flavors added to enhance the experience
Digestion	Many people experience digestive issues from regular kratom products	No digestive side effects, as there is no plant matter or extraction byproducts

 

An Overview of Traditional Kratom Products

The most common kratom products available are:

• Dried kratom leaf powder
• Liquid kratom extract
• Kratom capsules (can be made with powder or extract)
• Drinks and edibles made from kratom extract

Because early research focused on mitragynine, this is currently how the strength of kratom products is measured. For example, a kratom shot might be said to contain 155 milligrams of mitragynine (or 155 mg MIT for short).

Even though 7-hydroxymitragynine is the most active ingredient in kratom, it isn’t necessarily wrong to measure the strength of a kratom product in MIT.

MIT still matters. It is an active ingredient in kratom. However, considering 7-hydroxymitragynine is so much more powerful than mitragynine, MIT probably isn’t the most accurate way to test kratom products anymore.

Furthermore, there are some problems associated with MIT-based kratom products that are difficult to overcome.

 

Drawbacks of Standard Kratom

Commonly experienced problems with regular kratom products include:

Bad taste. There’s no getting around it. Whether it’s powder or extract—regular kratom products taste awful. 

Inconvenient dosing. To accurately measure kratom powder or extract you’ll need additional equipment (a milligram scale or measuring syringe) to carefully prepare each dose. And with capsules, an effective dose is usually 4 or more capsules. Kratom edibles are typically way underdosed, meaning several servings are usually needed to get the desired effect

No portability. While it is technically possible, not many people want to carry a bag of kratom powder and teaspoon around to dose powder. Same goes for bringing a bottle of extract and measuring syringe with you. While you can carry kratom capsules around, for a full day you may need to keep 10 or more somewhere they won't get crushed and break

Inconsistent results. One of the biggest frustrations with kratom is inconsistent results. One day it works fine, then another you just don’t get the effects you need. The main two variables are differences in quality between products and individual differences in metabolism. What you eat before dosing regular kratom can also change the effect

Digestive side effects. Kratom powder and extract are known to cause stomach upset in some people. For powder (including in capsules), the large amount of plant material that must be taken is usually the cause. In extracts, harsh solvents and byproducts of the extraction process can be hard on the stomach (also applies to kratom edibles, which are usually made with extract)

Our goal at 7Hydroz was to use the unique properties of 7-hydroxymitragynine to create a product that overcomes all the common drawbacks of regular kratom formulations.

In the end, we settled on a 15 mg chewable tablet. These were developed to solve the specific problems that we—as kratom enthusiasts ourselves—faced with traditional kratom products.

 

Final Thoughts

Regular kratom products have enabled millions of Americans to experience the unique effects of this popular traditional plant. 

However, there was previously no way of getting around one inconvenient fact…

Taking kratom essentially involves choosing one of several inconvenient (and unpleasant) ways to consume bitter-tasting dried tree leaves.

Well, with the discovery of 7-hydroxymitragynine—all that changes.

Now, kratom enthusiasts have access to a high-strength, ultra-concentrated, and pure form of the most powerful active ingredient in kratom. 

With 7-hydroxymitragynine, there is no consuming large amounts of plant matter (or capsules). No choking down harsh-tasking kratom extracts. And no wondering how you will keep up your kratom regime when you’re out and about.

We make your kratom routine as simple as swallowing or chewing a small, pleasant-tasting tablet that you can carry around with you anywhere.

Experience the future of kratom today. Grab 3 or 6-pack of 7Hydroz 15 mg chewable tablets online, or in-store from select leading kratom retailers.