Have you ever thought of taking Kratom Benefits or even afraid of taking it due to some controversies? Here in this article, I will clear all your doubts and misconceptions about Kratom.
However, as it is true that overdose of any medicine creates health problems similarly, excessive use of Kratom may give you some side effects.
There are lots of Kratom benefits from the medical perspective that you can get, like pain relief, anxiety relief, substitute for other drug dependence, anti-leukemic use, and many more.
However, your doctor must prescribe it to get the best result without any problem. Kratom is illegal[1] in some countries. For example, the U.S food and drug administration control board, commonly known as FDA and drug enforcement administration, has put a barrier in the use of Kratom. FDA and DEA always monitor Kratom as it possesses some drug compounds, which can be misused as these plants provide medical values.
What Is Kratom? History And Statistics
Kratom Benefits, scientifically known as Mitragyna Speciosa, is a tropical tree found in Africa and Southeast Asia. Kratom mitragyna speciosa has widely been used for a long time to cure physical pain, fatigue. Recently, these medicinal plants serve as a medical substitute for other drugs.
Kratom[3] is a plant native to Southeast Asia used in medicinal herbs since the nineteenth century.
It is traditionally chopped or dried, then chewed or made into a tea by the locals. In Thailand, kratom is sometimes used as an alternative to opium. Korthals, a Dutch botanist, has given the genus the name “Mitragyna” because the leaves mimic the outline of a bishop’s miter.
In the United States, the median incidence of at least one kratom use in the previous 12 months was 0.8%, representing 2,031,803 adults.
The lifetime prevalence rates are 1.3% or 3,353,624 in men. In comparison, drug use was 17.3% in the previous 12 months, current tobacco smoking was 13.9%, and current intake of more than seven alcoholic drinks a week was 9.9%.
When it comes to kratom non-users, they were usually male, students, and health workers. 48.6% were males, 20.3 % were 65 or older, and 17.6% were 25-34 years old.
The prevalence of Drug Abuse Screening Test or DAST-10 risk groups among US adults who used each drug, including 7 alcohol, Cannabis, Cigarettes, Kratom, and prescription Opioids, is seen in the Assessment of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs or NMURx Program.
The DAST-10 was more significant in kratom users than in cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, or opioid consumers. It was, therefore, more troubling than non-users; 21% of kratom consumers had a DAST-10 of significance or severe, compared to 1% of non-users.
A most recent study undertaken by Johns Hopkins shows that women mostly use kratom leaves rather than men. Although out of 2768 participants, 61% were women, and 29% were men, 84% of adult kratom users in the U.S had at least a college education.
In this survey[4], 91% said they use kratom to relieve pain in various parts of their bodies, such as the back, hip, and knee pain, 67% said it helps with anxiety, and 65% said it helps with depression. In addition, 41% said they are using kratom to treat opioid withdrawal, and 35% of them use Kratom rather than opioids for more than a year.
Several strains of Kratom or mitragyna speciosa and Maeng Da Kratom are among those. This evergreen tree is also known as MD Kratom. Maeng Da Kratom also has three main substrains. They are red vein, green vein, and white vein Kratoms. We will discuss them in the next section.
Red Vein Kratom
It is one of the three strains of MD kratom. This strain has a mixture of 40% white vein MD and 60 % red vein MD. It sources from Indonesia. This kind of mixture provides calmness and stability in life. As white vein, Kratom increases wellness, and the red vein kratom relieves you from stress and makes you optimistic. If you are just starting, then take a small dose of it. It will motivate you a lot. This strain is the most favorite of students.
White Vein Kratom
As a Kratom taker, you have heard about white vein MD. It is the combination of 70% white vein and 30% green vein strain. It is also found in Indonesia, especially in Kalimantan. It also does the work of red vein kratom and extensively provides optimism. It is so aromatic. Women mostly use white veins as treatment.
Green Vein Kratom
Green Vein Kratom comes from the region of Bunut in Indonesia and produced by the local botanicals. It is a compilation of 80% green vein Kratom and 20% white vein Kratom. This strain tastes slightly bitter and provides relief from weariness. You can take it in the morning and afternoon with your coffee. It also boosts your energy level. Doctors use it as a treatment for clumsiness.
Kratom Benefits For Healthy Lifestyle
It has many medical values and can change the way of your life. The common impact is getting rid of anxiety, tiredness, obesity, low immunity level, lack of concentration, etc. If you have such symptoms, you can check them out. Now let me explain them a little bit to you.
Manages Anxiety
Managing anxiety is one of the several benefits given by Kratom. As Kratom has varieties of strains, it is essential to choose the right one. Among the MD strains, red vein Kratom is so helpful to reduce anxiety symptoms and provides a sense of wellbeing. However, for those who have insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, and depression symptoms, red vein, and green vein Kratoms will give the best results.
Because of mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, kratom acts as a safe and effective sedative. It will help you sleep and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety[6]. The alkaloids in kratom also activate receptors in the brain, which improve your mood automatically, rendering it a vital antidepressant.
Summary: According to some studies, the alkaloids in kratom such mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine help to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
Suppresses Pain And Inflammation
The most common use of Kratom by people is to get relief from chronic pain and inflammation symptoms. Red vein kratom and green vein Kratom are the best suited to get away from this painful problem.
Kratom’s active alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, were shown to have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties[7] in a study. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine have an effect on pain-producing mechanisms and receptors in the descending pain pathway. Furthermore, research suggests that kratom has anti-inflammatory properties due to cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition. COX-2 is the most common cause of inflammation and swelling.
Summary: The people of southeast Asia and Africa have been using Kratom for a century or more. You should always take a tiny dose to check whether you are getting the desired results or not. And again, a prescription and treatment from a doctor are essential.
Boosts Energy
Kratom belongs to the coffee tree family. Now you can easily understand why Kratom can give you similar effects. The people of Thailand and Malaysia chew kratom leaves to protect themselves from direct sunlight. Using Kratom, you will feel more refreshed and have an immense amount of energy.
You can take Kratom in the form of tea or coffee in the morning or even in the afternoon. Kratom contains drugs such as caffeine, mitragynine, and 7 hydroxy mitragynine compounds, which help to wide awake.
Summary: In Thailand and Malaysia, they chew kratom leaves to have immense energy throughout the day. According to a study, Kratom contains caffeine, mitragynine, and 7 hydroxy mitragynine that makes a person wide awake and alert.
Helps Stay Focused
Kratom can also help to stay focused by increasing your concentration level. People with mood swings problems may check out Kratom for the best result ever. Kratom contains caffeine, mitragynine, and 7 hydroxy mitragynine compounds, which help to freshen one’s brain from stress and increase the focus level.
Summary: Kratom improves your physiological capability by increasing your concentration or focus, comprehension of mind, and energy level. This is due to the caffeine, mitragynine, and 7 hydroxy mitragynine compounds that kratom have.
Treats Opioid Addiction
Besides physical effectiveness, Kratom is also used by doctors and psychologists to get people from other drug addictions and opioid withdrawal. This is because kratom contains potent alkaloids like mitragynine[8] with fewer physical and mental side effects than opioids, which helps drug takers avoid opioid addiction. In short, you can use Kratom instead of an opioid.
So, besides other benefits, it helps with opioid withdrawal. In addition, you may consider it if you are suffering from drug and alcohol dependence.
Summary: Doctors and psychologists use Kratom to help their patients who are opioid-addicted patients recover.
Is Kratom Safe?
Africans and Southeast Asians have been using Kratoms for a long time with several benefits. Unfortunately, there is no specific scientific evidence to prove the health benefits of Kratom. But kratom users are using and getting the desired result.
But several countries, and some states in the U.S, banned the use of Kratom. Surprisingly, Kratom use was not reduced. Students and women of all ages are even using it extensively.
Why Is It Controversial?
The main reason behind the controversy about using Kratom is that there are no proven scientific facts about Kratom’s benefits. Instead, people are trying it by learning from other people who already used it. So the matter of controversy is no surprise. Specifically, the U.S reported it to be addictive.
But this is not in all countries and territories. Some countries have banned the herb, but other countries also use it effectively. Psychologists are recommending Kratom.
Possible Side Effects Of Kratom
A little dose of Kratom with a doctor’s prescription does not have that many reported side effects. But if you are using it for intoxication, you may experience several side effects. The possible side effects of Kratom include hepatic injury, a neurological injury like seizure and coma, pulmonary and kidney injury, thyroid injury, memory impairment, and even death due to overdose.
Is It Legal To Purchase Kratom?
Kratom is not federally monitored in the USA. No government agency reviews or assures the accuracy and protection of kratom goods bought in the United States because it is not federally supervised. Despite the fact that Kratom has multiple health advantages and has been used for a long time, the Drug Enforcement Agency has classified it as a controlled substance.
Even though kratom is legal at the federal level, some states and jurisdictions have opted to place limits on its use, such as making it unlawful to sell, possess, cultivate, or use it, as well as imposing age restrictions.
Here is the list of states that illegalize the selling and use of Kratom:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
Here are the states and municipalities that legalize the selling and use of Kratom but regulated:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
The US Drug Enforcement Administration or US DEA is now debating whether kratom should be safe or not. While there are demands for it to be made illegal due to its psychoactive effects, experts believe it may be helpful, especially for the country’s opioid crisis.
Final Thoughts
Summing up all the facts above, it can be said that Kratom has benefits and health risks simultaneously. You should always visit your doctors and psychologists if you are going through any of the problems mentioned above. If your doctor checks your physical condition and nervous system, then you are good to go.
Recent studies and case reports also show that Kratom is used for intoxication, which is not acceptable. Yes, you can use it to get away from other opioid addictions with proper medications from your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kratom interfere with medications?
Yes, Kratom can interfere with other medications and substances. For example, it can potentially react with alcohol, which may cause life-threatening problems. So, be aware and ask your doctor whether you can use Kratom products while getting through other medications and substance use. High doses can make you vulnerable. Are dosage guidelines available?
No, there are no such proven guidelines on the use of Kratoms. It all depends on the level of chemicals, your body mass, and health conditions. But you can use it as you use coffee or tea, which means low doses for safety. However, high doses may cause severe problems. How long does Kratom remain in the body?
It all depends on the usage. But it is seen that even probable small dosages may last for 8 to 10 hours or more.
Originally published at Health canal