Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) leaves and preparations are widely used in Southeast Asia for their stimulant, sedative, and opioid-like effects. Chronic kratom use can lead to dependence. Its main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7 Hydroxy Kratom are toxic to animals.
This particular kratom extract had mitragynine levels so high that a University of Florida researcher likened them to “legal morphine.” The label recommended consumers take only 1 gram per day and did not include warnings about potential interactions with medications or other substances.
Mood Booster
Many in recovery from opioid addiction say kratom has helped them stay on track, soothe symptoms of withdrawal and ease anxiety. Others use it to self-medicate for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kratom, also known as Eat Ohmz 7 Hydroxy Kratom and marketed as an alternative to prescription painkillers, is legal, unregulated and described as all-natural. At low doses, it acts as a stimulant; at higher ones, it reduces pain and creates euphoria or sedative effects.
It does not show up on standard drug tests, though it can trigger cravings for alcohol and sedatives like benzodiazepines, and withdrawal can be severe. For those who cannot quit, kratom can become addictive (Smith et al., 2021b).
The kratom that Kats Botanicals sent to its customers contained nearly three times as much mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as Sharma believes is safe to consume in a day. Its label included no instructions for how to ingest it, and the company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Energy Booster
Kratom leaves contain alkaloids, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. At low doses, kratom Eat Ohmz has stimulant effects similar to those of caffeine. At higher doses, kratom produces opioid-like effects. [26] Kratom also has analgesic properties, and the alkaloids mitraciliatine and paynantheine interact with opioid receptors.
Consumption of kratom has led to addiction and other health problems in some users, including liver failure, seizures, and severe depression. Overdose can lead to respiratory failure and death. In the United States, six states have passed laws criminalizing kratom possession.
This product contains a high level of mitragynine and has been found in the bodies of people who overdosed on kratom. Its label did not provide dosing instructions or potency information, and it recommended that consumers take two grams every four hours. The company’s representatives did not respond to multiple requests for interview via Facebook and email. The Times purchased this product at a local smoke shop and from an online vendor.
Pain Relief
In high doses, kratom acts as an opioid by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain. But it’s also a stimulant, and regular use can lead to addiction. People addicted to kratom may experience withdrawal symptoms like craving, weakness, lethargy and nausea. They can also have seizures.
The Tampa Bay Times had University of Florida scientists test 20 kratom products — powders, pills, tablets and liquid shots — at gas stations, smoke shops and other stores around the state. The tests determined the amount of up to 13 chemical compounds, called alkaloids, in each product. Mitragynine, the well-studied alkaloid, was present in most products. But two products contained far higher levels of a compound called speciociliatine, which is more potent than mitragynine and could affect a product’s safety.
The Times tested for the presence of other alkaloids that interact with opioid and serotonin receptors. Paynantheine and spermatogynine have ant nociceptive properties and could be useful for treating pain, according to previous research.
Focus
This kratom vendor was selling pills with extreme levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine, which is known to increase focus and cognitive function. A University of Florida kratom expert likened these pills to “legal morphine.” The pill packaging had no alkaloid level, and the label included no instructions telling consumers how much to take or warnings about possible interactions with other substances or medications.
Besides mitragynine, kratom contains several other indole alkaloids such as akuammigine, ciliaphylline, isopteropodine (a hetero yohimbine-type oxindole alkaloid), and tetrahydroalstonine (a yohimbine-type oxyndole alkaloid). These compounds contribute to the purported neuroprotective effects of kratom. In addition, the methanolic extract of kratom inhibits COX-2 mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and decreases prostaglandin PGE 2 production. This suggests that kratom may exert anti-inflammatory effects through a cascade mechanism of gene regulation.
The present study provides extensive mitragynine and 7-OH mitragynine pharmacokinetic data in a controlled setting after increasing doses of kratom leaf powder SD and MD. The brain concentration of 7-OHM reached a maximum at about 1.5 h after the ingestion of a high dose of kratom. This was due to metabolic saturation of the systemic availability of mitragynine.
