Health Effects of Kratom

HERBAL MEDICINE AND KRATOM

Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia whose leaves can be ground into powder, extracted into tinctures or teas, or even consumed as a hot beverage. Traditionally prepared as a herbal medicine, kratom is thought to be beneficial for pain management and mood stabilization, but its effects are highly dose-dependent: Small doses can produce cocaine-like stimulant effects, while larger doses may have more sedative/narcotic properties.

Preclinical research has shown that kratom may have therapeutic potential in treatment-resistant depression, opioid use disorder, opiate withdrawal symptoms, and alcohol use disorders. However, a large amount of preclinical data is needed to support these uses.

In the United States, kratom is marketed as a legal herbal supplement in powder or tablet form, capsules, or brewed as a tea. It can be purchased in bulk from online vendors and may be found in health food stores. It can also be purchased in concentrated liquid extracts that can be added to beverages as per manufacturer instructions. These products have a variety of dosage recommendations, ranging from 1-3 grams per day for powders and extracts to one teaspoon per day for tinctures. The unregulated quality of kratom products results in widely variable concentrations of the putative active ingredients mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Despite its lack of regulation and limited research, kratom has grown to become a billion-dollar industry in the US. As the popularity of kratom has increased, so have calls to Poison Control Centers and reports of deaths from acute kratom intoxication. The DEA is considering making kratom a Schedule 1 controlled substance, alongside heroin and methamphetamine, due to its opioid-like properties and potential for abuse.

The DEA's proposal has not yet been approved by the US Senate and is facing fierce opposition from kratom proponents, including the American Kratom Association, which claims to be a non-profit organization advocating for the rights of Americans to legally consume kratom under appropriate state and federal laws.

According to Mac Haddow, a lobbyist for the AKTA, the group's primary goal is "to promote the proper use of safe and legitimate kratom to address public health issues."

While the kratom lobbyists are arguing for a place in the marketplace, researchers say much more work needs to be done on this botanical to understand how it interacts with human brain receptors to produce its effects. A medicinal chemist who studies kratom at the University of Florida, Christopher McCurdy, says it interacts with multiple systems and neurotransmitters to produce both stimulating and sedative effects.

The kratom that is sold on the market in the US is often contaminated with heavy metals and bacterial pathogens, which can lead to serious health risks. Hepatitis, indicated by elevated bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels, has been reported in some kratom users. More research is needed to determine how varying dosages and kratom preparations affect the body in the short and long term. Taking large doses of kratom for prolonged periods of time is not recommended as it can be habit-forming.