Users swear by kratom for lifting mood and boosting energy, but there are many safety issues and questions about whether kratom works.
Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree called Mitragyna speciosa. The tree grows in Southeast Asia. Kratom users can chew the tree’s leaves, swallow or brew dry kratom, or add the extract to a liquid.
People who use kratom report that at low doses, kratom acts as an upper, called a stimulant. That means it makes them more alert and gives them more energy. At higher doses, people who use it report that it reduces pain and makes them feel calm and less anxious, also called a sedative.
Some people take kratom to ease the symptoms of quitting opioids, called withdrawal. Kratom may be easier to get than prescription medicines. But it carries its own risk of addiction.
People who use kratom to relax or to be more social most likely think that kratom is natural and safe because it comes from a plant. But the amount of the active part in kratom leaves can vary greatly. So it’s hard to know the effects of a given dose.
Some studies have found that some kratom sellers add more of the active ingredient than kratom naturally has. And because kratom products lack clear labels, it’s not possible to know how much kratom people who use it take.
Kratom starts to work in minutes. The effects last a few hours. The more kratom you take, the stronger the effects are.
Depending on the amount of active ingredient in the product and the health of the user, taking kratom can be harmful. There are too few studies to be able to rate the claims about the benefits of kratom.