A lot of you must have heard about the revolving and much talked about magical herb called Kratom. Kratom is a tropical plant indigenous to Southeast Asia including Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Kratom belongs to the same family as coffee and has more or less the same effects as coffee, except for the fact that it does not contain caffeine. Kratom tea can be taken as an alternative to coffee and would give you the same stimulating effects.
Kratom contains some special components and has a high alkaloid profile with some amazing compounds like mitragynine and 7hydroxymitragynine which cause magical healing in the body. Kratom has become famous in the western world recently, but in its origin it has been used by the people since the nineteenth century for healing and curing of bodily diseases. Kratom helps dealing with cough, diarrhea, diabetes, kidney diseases, lung diseases and respiratory conditions. It is also seen in some cases how Kratom has helped with opioid withdrawal symptoms which is why research is going on to see if it can be massively used in the medicine industry.
Is Kratom harmful?
Kratom, according to statistics by scientists is used by 10 million to 15 million people in the US alone. This has led to researches carried out over the concern of mitragynine and presence of other alkaloids which are risked to cause addiction. The research till date over Kratom has been limited and scientists cannot pinpoint to number of reasons or even a specific reason to why Kratom is harmful. There is no proper evidence and neither proofs to state that Kratom causes addiction in its users. There have been no clinical trials conducted on animals neither human beings to further support the researches. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) has labeled Kratom as ‘a drug of concern’ but has not banned it because of insufficient information.
Researchers have even though reported that there are atleast 20 biologically active alkaloids present in Kratom which have the potential to cause physical addiction.
Even though AuthenticKratom has been used since centuries for its amazing properties but controversial factors have been popping up here and there like the banning of Kratom all around Thailand by its government. These measures are seen as imposing of law after people over used Kratom to an extent of abuse. Overdose of this herb can be fatal and can cause unwanted consequences.
Short-term effects
The short-term effects of Kratom are not long lasting and vary from strain to strain. It is important to keep in mind what type of effect you’re looking for. Low doses provide the stimulating effect that you can use to kick start the day. Along with that, alertness and motivation is also a part of the short term effects of low doses of Kratom. Higher doses which are more than 10g can make your head spin while providing a sedative effect like morphine.
Low doses (2g-5g) can have the effects started after 5-10 minutes of consumption and can last till about 60 minutes.
Long-term effects
There are no specific or confirmed side effects but looking at the masses of Thailand after over dose of Kratom, it can be concluded that physical dependence can be a major long-term effect. Alongside that, hyperpigmentation which is the darkening of skin of the body is also another effect. Weight loss or anorexia can also be a result of long-term and continuous use of Kratom.
In short, the key is to control and monitor your dosage of Kratom and only take it when needed so that the body does not get used to it. Beginners should start with lower doses and make their way up slowly and steadily after carefully observing how their body reacts to it.
