What Is Kratom?

Kratom is a tree from the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. Also known as Mitragyna speciosa, it's grown in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Its leaves are dried and used to make tea or put into capsules for sale as a supplement. Kratom leaves can also be smoked like tobacco.

You can find kratom leaves, powder, and capsules in some health food stores, vape shops, and online specialty stores. The most common uses of it are to relieve pain, depression, and opioid addiction. The two most active compounds found in kratom — mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine — work on opioid receptors but with fewer side effects.

Kratom has been used for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia as a natural home remedy. Traditionally, it has been used to treat:

• Fatigue
• Pain
• Diarrhea
• Muscle cramps

Though modern science has lent some support to these and other traditional medicine claims, much more research is needed.

Is kratom an opioid?

Experts consider kratom an opioid-like substance because it affects your brain's opioid receptors. In low doses, it’s a stimulant. But in high doses, it can relieve pain like opioids do. Just like opioids, kratom can be addictive.

Sometimes, people who use opioids replace the drug with kratom to lower their opioid use and ease withdrawal symptoms.

But other people use kratom similarly to an opioid. They misuse it as a way to relax, calm anxiety, treat depression, or self-treat pain.

Kratom Benefits

Very little research has been done on the health effects of kratom. To date, kratom has not been found to be safe or effective for any use. Below are some of the health effects that are being studied:

Kratom for pain

Kratom may be effective for easing chronic pain, as it works by attaching to opioid receptors. One compound found in kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is 13 times more potent than morphine.

Although kratom targets opioid receptors just like morphine and codeine do, it is considered an atypical opioid. Kratom selectively inactivates specific signals, which may explain the more tolerable side effects compared to typical opioids, but the FDA has not approved kratom for any medical use.

Kratom for boosting mood

Kratom may have mood-enhancing effects. Some reports suggest that kratom may be an effective treatment for opioid addiction. Some people use it to help ease the withdrawal symptoms of morphine and ethanol.

Early studies suggest that kratom may have potential as an antidepressant and a hunger suppressant. In one animal study, researchers determined that kratom lowers corticosterone levels in mice. Increased corticosterone levels are just one of the changes in brain chemicals that can be seen in depression.

In another study with rats, kratom supplementation suppressed hunger by inhibiting the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for appetite and cravings. More research on humans is needed to see if kratom has similar effects.

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Kratom for opiate withdrawal

Some people have reported that kratom can help with self-treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms. It has also been promoted as a remedy or cure for opioid addiction. But there’s no approved use of kratom for these purposes. Experts need to look deeper into this to understand if it can actually help with withdrawal. Plus, it can cause addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

There is also a possibility of heart and kidney damage in certain people. You should not drive or operate dangerous equipment if you use kratom.
Health Risks

Because kratom has such potent ingredients, you should consult with your doctor before taking it or any other supplement. Consider the following before you start taking kratom:

Long-term effects

One study examined the effects of prolonged kratom use. Participants reported darkened facial skin, dry mouth, frequent urination, weight loss, and frequent constipation.
Kratom Dosage

Kratom does not have FDA approval to treat any condition, so there is no specific recommended dose. Early studies suggest that doses below 5 grams of raw plant material may act as a stimulant, similar to caffeine. Higher doses between about 5 and 15 grams may have the opposite effect and may help relieve pain.

However, more research is needed to determine the effects of these dosage variations on the body in the short and long term. Because of kratom’s potency and lack of research to conclude safe amounts, be sure to consult with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.
Kratom Strains

There are three different strains, or “vein types” of kratom: red, green, and white. The color has to do with the age of the leaf. Experts have found that the red type might be stronger than the older form of kratom, which is green.
Kratom Usage

After someone takes kratom, they typically feel the effects in just 10 minutes. These might last up to 1 to 1.5 hours. Ways to take kratom include:

Kratom drink

Kratom can be made into a drink by mixing the powder form of the plant with water or adding liquid from the kratom plant into a drink

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