The mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a tree in the Rubiaceae family, which also includes coffee plants. It is native to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. You can buy the product in several forms, though the most popular is dried leaves that are turned into powder and either packaged as capsules or used to make tea.
Today, kratom can be found in certain health stores and vape shops, but is mostly sold online on specialty websites. Kratom has been used as a traditional health remedy in the East for centuries. It’s touted to be an effective way to treat pain, fatigue, muscle cramps and digestive issues.
While modern scientific research has lent some support to these claims in recent years, the general consensus is that we still require more studies to fully understand the health effects of kratom powder. For now, there are several known benefits that we can discuss. Read on to learn more.
Pain Relief
As you can probably guess, kratom powder is considered to be a strong pain reliever. This is due to the presence of two key compounds, namely mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These chemicals bind to opioid receptors, albeit with fewer side effects than other substances in the category.
The latter compound is said to be 13 times more powerful than morphine. However, unlike morphine and codeine, this opioid is atypical, which means it inhibits specific signals that would otherwise engender less tolerable side effects.
Libido Enhancement
There are three different strains of kratom, including white, green and red (vein) varieties. All of them have been studied for their aphrodisiac properties, and researchers determined that kratom can indeed have the effects in question. If you want to know where you can buy kratom, start with this review of Kraken Kratom, a popular online vendor.
Mood Improvement
One of the most well-known uses for kratom is the treatment of opioid addiction. It has been shown to ease withdrawal symptoms among former users of ethanol and morphine. This is related to the mood-enhancing effects of the plant.
In one animal study, scientists found that kratom lowered levels of corticosterone, which is related to depression. Other experiments point to kratom being able to suppress hunger by inhibiting the hypothalamus, the part of our brains that generate appetite and craving for food. Anecdotal claims include users saying that kratom has euphoric effects as well.
Focus and Cognition
While the aforementioned properties might make kratom seem to have sedating effects, quite the contrary appears to be the case. This is partly because kratom releases acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a prominent role in focus and memory, assisting cortical circuits with response to sensory stimuli.
Another area of interest is the liver, where microsomal enzymes are said to metabolize kratom into numerous alkaloids. In doing so, the delta and kappa opiate receptors in your peripheral nerves are activated, which is said to have positive effects on cognitive performance.
These are some of the more well-known health benefits surrounding kratom. Perhaps you can try it for yourself and see what the plant can do for you.