Kanna extracts are hard to compare on the shelf. Most kanna never states its alkaloid content, so two jars of the same weight and price can be entirely different products.
Four things separate them: concentration, alkaloid profile, format, and testing.
Total Alkaloid Concentration
Concentration is the share of the powder that is kanna alkaloid, stated as a percentage of weight. It is the number that makes two extracts comparable at all.
Our standard line is concentrated to 5% total alkaloids by weight. LIFT XR is concentrated to 16%. Both figures are guaranteed minimums rather than typical results, which is worth asking of any percentage you see — a minimum and an average mean different things.
The rest of the weight is carrier. Each alkaloid is bound to mannitol for stability, so in our 5% extracts the other 95% is mannitol. How that is done is covered in A Guide To Kanna Extraction.
Alkaloid Profile
Kanna has three main actives, and they pull in different directions. Mesembrine is the bright, social one. Mesembrenone is the calm one. Delta-7-mesembrenone pulls toward winding down.
The share of each is the alkaloid profile. At the same total concentration, the profile is what changes the character of the effect.
LIFT runs 80/15/5 in that order. BLISS runs 65/20/15. REST runs 50/25/25 and carries the highest Delta-7 share in our line.
Alkaloid profiles are rarely published. Where one is given, it tells you more about what you will feel than the total percentage does. The alkaloids themselves are covered in Research Insights: The Chemistry Of Kanna.
Format
Format changes the serving size, the onset, and how precisely you can measure.
Pure kanna extract powder is measured with a micro-scoop. A 25mg serving is two to three scoops, a 1-gram jar holds 40 servings, onset is about 30 minutes, and effects run two to three hours. It is slightly bitter — most people don't mind it and some do.
Kanna Drops is its own extract in oil at 90% mesembrine. A dropper measures in drops, not milligrams: two to four drops per serving, 30 servings to a vial.
Encapsulated kanna formulas hold a premeasured 25mg of extract with a 625mg functional blend. Onset runs 30 to 60 minutes because the capsule has to open first, and effects run two to three hours.
Fortified Kanna Herb is the plant itself, processed to a set 3% mesembrine by weight, for tea, infusions, and herbal blends. These are small amounts; a milligram scale is the only exact measure.
Third-Party Testing
A stated percentage means something only if a laboratory measured it.
Every lot we sell is tested in-house by HPLC and again by an independent laboratory, which also screens for heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, and microbial contamination.
A certificate of analysis names the laboratory, the lot, the method, and the result. Reading one is covered in The Importance Of Lab Testing And Third-Party Testing.
What To Check On The Label
- Species: Sceletium tortuosum.
- Total alkaloid content as a percentage of weight, and whether that figure is a guaranteed minimum.
- The alkaloid profile, if one is stated.
- Serving size in milligrams.
- Servings per container.
- Whether a certificate of analysis is available for the lot.
Where To Start
LIFT is our entry product and the brightest of our standard extracts. The rest of the line is described against it. If you have not taken kanna before, start there, and start with one serving. First-timers sometimes feel very little.
The full range and how each format is made are on Our Kanna Extracts. A wider introduction is in A Beginner's Guide To Kanna.
Kanna is serotonergic. Consult a healthcare provider before use, especially if you take any serotonergic medication or supplement.
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
