Kratom Leaves: Benefits vs. Risks

Kratom is generally produced using the dried leaves of Mitragyna speciose, which is a tropical plant mostly found in Southeast Asia. Kratom leaves are considered quite controversial as they have merits but demerits as well, for example, they can help in alleviating the pain, but at the same time, they can cause addiction, which is wrong on so many levels.

Kratom originally belongs to the coffee family. The leaves of Kratom are used in many ways, for example, as a sleep-inducing agent, and as a stimulant as well. Kratom is illegal in many parts of the world, but surprisingly, it is legal in the United States of America. There are already online shops where you can find Kratom for sale over the internet in different quantities and different presentation forms.

Benefits of Kratom

Though it is not approved to be used for medical purposes by any proper source but there are people around the world that report a significant betterment in body aches using the Kratom leaves. Kratom is also famous as the best cure for all the digestive problems and other stomach related ailments.

Apart from all this, Kratom is quite popular to reduce anxiety as well as depression. You may have heard the fact that more than 2 billion people around the globe suffer from generalized anxiety disorders and more than 3 billion people around us are depressed because of their everyday issues. In such situations, Kratom is something that can be of great help. It alleviates the stress and relaxes your body as well as the brain. Visit the website to read more about it.

The Effects of Kratom on the Mood, Brain & Body

It is unusual but reported by many people that Kratom has positive effects when used in a moderate dose, for example, a little dose of Kratom can increase the energy as well as boost the brain making you more alert of your surroundings. It acts as a psychostimulant if you keep the dose between 1 to 5 grams; although, no research backs it up.

When using Kratom in a moderate dose, between 5 to 15 grams, it can act as a pain alleviating agent. There are a number of Kratom users that report enjoying the feeling of decreased pain and sedation. According to a study, there are a few compounds in Kratom leaves that act as Opioid pain relievers so Kratom affects the body more or less same like Opioid does.

Side Effects of Kratom and Potential Problems

Kratom users mostly claim that it helps in many medical problems, for example, anxiety, stress, stomach disorders, chronic pains and more. Even then, according to the Food and Drug Administration, there is no study that supports the medical uses of Kratom; therefore, it is not a reliable cure for any medical problem.

In fact, there are many reports of various studies that state some exceptionally harmful effects of Kratom like tonic seizures.

According to CDC, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 70% of calls that poison centers in the USA received between 2011 to 2015 were due to Kratom poisoning. Most of these calls reported the use of Kratom in combination with other drugs like benzodiazepines.

Although, common side effects of Kratom includes:

• Dehydration
• Dry mouth
• Skin allergies like rashes and itching
• Increased urination
• Constipation

Whereas, some serious yet rare side effects of Kratom are:

• Seizures
• Confusion
• Hallucination
• Hearing loss
• Vision loss

There are a few withdrawal effects of Kratom as well:

• Difficulty in falling asleep
• Irritable Mood
• Aggression
• Flu-like symptoms, for example, runny nose
• Aching muscles
• Emotional disturbance or Depression-like symptoms

Reasons Behind The Kratom Controversy

Although the users of Kratom never agree with the side effects, the drug brings along, but at the end of 2017, a report was released by The Food and Drug Administration that states about the death of 36 people due to Kratom. The controversy here is, the deaths occurred because Kratom was consumed in combination with other drugs like sleep-inducing medicines, antidepressants and more so the proponents of Kratom believe that these deaths were not caused solely because of Kratom.

According to the National Institute of Health, there is nothing like a Kratom overdose because the drug when consumed alone is not very harmful. However, a few types of Kratom, for example, the food supplements, can be contaminated with numerous other compounds that may lead to death.

Another study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that Kratom and other opioids can gradually slow down the respiratory system of the human body, which may lead to accidental deaths if the drugs are consumed in higher doses.

Hence, at this time, the FDA has banned the medical use of Kratom and has requested the users to avoid it at all costs even for the medical reasons.

About the Author:

David Martin is currently a final year student of Neuroscience at California University. He is passionate about writing and takes a keen interest in all things that alter our mental makeup. He regularly writes blogs at https://bestkratomcanada.ca/.