Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
If you’ve been looking for safer options for pain relief, kratom — a Southeast Asian plant with at least 40 naturally occurring bioactive alkaloids — has probably popped up in your search results more than once.
But, how do can you know the differences in quality, potency and safety between naturally sourced kratom products?
Alexander Karp, chief scientific officer for ETHA Natural Botanicals, describes his journey to find pain relief with kratom, the perils of an unregulated marketplace and why you should not mute the Pain Teacher this week on Spirit Gym.
In the Members section of this podcast, legendary skateboarder Danny Way joins the conversation to share his personal experiences with kratom as a more effective pain reliever.
For Spirit Gym listeners: Save 15% on Element 115 kratom products developed by Alexander and Danny at Element 115 Botanicals at e115shop.com or ETHA Natural Botanicals at ethanaturals.com via the promo code PAUL15. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
Sign up for your Spirit Gym podcast membership at paulchek.com/podcast-collections/all-episodes so you can access members-only extended versions of the podcast along with exclusive Q&A opportunities with Paul.
0:00 Intro
5:10 Our lifestyles have evolved to be more processed and synthetic at the same time more natural treatment options have become demonized by the allopathic world.
14:09 “Kratom and all of the alkaloids are like a symphony orchestra.”
16:26 Are you muting the Pain Teacher?
29:37 How Alexander became aware of kratom.
34:50 “It was out of a personal need that I had severe pain, heard about kratom, tried it and it was a miracle.”
40:44 Different alkaloids, different effects in kratom.
48:22 The complications of an unregulated market.
1:02:07 Taking a low dose of anything doesn’t imply that it isn’t a powerful one.
1:17:23 “You don’t want pain to go away 100 percent.”
1:24:47 A review of the kratom-based products Alexander’s ETHA Natural Botanicals sells.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Alexander Karp and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/episode-319-alexander-karp-kratom-a-safer-approach-for-pain-relief
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• CHEK Institute https://chek.group/blackfriday24 (save $50 — a VIP gift to all Spirit Gym listeners — on all online courses and bundles just by filling out a request form at the aforementioned link!)
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/paulchek (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• BiOptimizers bioptimizers.com/living4d (save an extra 10% on your purchase and 25% on special bundles during BiOptimizers’ Black Friday sale by using the code PAUL10 at checkout)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as Bears at braveasbears.bandcamp.com
All Rights Reserved MusicFit Records 2024 at musicfitrecords.com
If you’ve been looking for safer options for pain relief, kratom — a Southeast Asian plant with at least 40 naturally occurring bioactive alkaloids — has probably popped up in your search results more than once.
But, how do can you know the differences in quality, potency and safety between naturally sourced kratom products?
Alexander Karp, chief scientific officer for ETHA Natural Botanicals, describes his journey to find pain relief with kratom, the perils of an unregulated marketplace and why you should not mute the Pain Teacher this week on Spirit Gym.
In the Members section of this podcast, legendary skateboarder Danny Way joins the conversation to share his personal experiences with kratom as a more effective pain reliever.
For Spirit Gym listeners: Save 15% on Element 115 kratom products developed by Alexander and Danny at Element 115 Botanicals at e115shop.com or ETHA Natural Botanicals at ethanaturals.com via the promo code PAUL15. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
Sign up for your Spirit Gym podcast membership at paulchek.com/podcast-collections/all-episodes so you can access members-only extended versions of the podcast along with exclusive Q&A opportunities with Paul.
0:00 Intro
5:10 Our lifestyles have evolved to be more processed and synthetic at the same time more natural treatment options have become demonized by the allopathic world.
14:09 “Kratom and all of the alkaloids are like a symphony orchestra.”
16:26 Are you muting the Pain Teacher?
29:37 How Alexander became aware of kratom.
34:50 “It was out of a personal need that I had severe pain, heard about kratom, tried it and it was a miracle.”
40:44 Different alkaloids, different effects in kratom.
48:22 The complications of an unregulated market.
1:02:07 Taking a low dose of anything doesn’t imply that it isn’t a powerful one.
1:17:23 “You don’t want pain to go away 100 percent.”
1:24:47 A review of the kratom-based products Alexander’s ETHA Natural Botanicals sells.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Alexander Karp and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/episode-319-alexander-karp-kratom-a-safer-approach-for-pain-relief
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• CHEK Institute https://chek.group/blackfriday24 (save $50 — a VIP gift to all Spirit Gym listeners — on all online courses and bundles just by filling out a request form at the aforementioned link!)
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/paulchek (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• BiOptimizers bioptimizers.com/living4d (save an extra 10% on your purchase and 25% on special bundles during BiOptimizers’ Black Friday sale by using the code PAUL10 at checkout)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as Bears at braveasbears.bandcamp.com
All Rights Reserved MusicFit Records 2024 at musicfitrecords.com
