Kratom is the name of a tree from the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. Also known as mitragyna speciosa, it is grown in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Its leaves are dried and used to make tea or encapsulated and sold 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 Asia as a natural home remedy. Traditionally, it has been used to treat:
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Diarrhea
- Muscle cramps
Health Benefits
Research has found several potential health benefits to taking kratom:
Libido Enhancement
Pain Relief
Kratom comes in three different strains, which all are effective relievers for chronic pain. White vein, green vein, and red vein varieties provide pain relief by attaching to opioid receptors. One compound found in kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is 13 times more potent than morphine.
Although kratom targets opioid receptors like morphine and codeine, it is considered an atypical opioid. Kratom selectively inactivates specific signals, which may explain the more tolerable side effects compared to typical opioids.
Mood-Boosting
Kratom has many mood-enhancing effects. Reports show that kratom is an effective treatment for opioid addiction. It has been proven to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of morphine and ethanol.
Other studies show that kratom has potential as an antidepressant and a hunger suppressant. In one animal study, researchers determined that kratom lowers corticosterone levels in mice. Elevated corticosterone levels are associated with 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 examine if kratom has similar effects.