Kratom is an ancient evergreen tree found in the tropical regions and countries of almost all continents of the world. It is a natural herb which has a scientific name of Mitragyna speciose. The countries which have Kratom grown in abundance include Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia. It was named and first described in 1839. Kretom has an unpredictable mechanism of action as it can act as a depressant as well as a stimulant accordingly. The body responses vary from person to person based on their physiology.
Why it is used?
It is among the most commonly and largely grown natural herbs in US. The clinical benefits are due to the presence of a number of pharmacologically active constituents and the alkaloids in the herb.
These alkaloids help in improving the overall body systems and physiological health. One of the reasons behind so much popularity of Kratom is that it contains alkaloids in it which have notable health benefits. It is used by people for the management of muscular and skeletal pains, chronic depression and it also has a clinical importance as it has been used to treat opioid withdrawal disorder in many patients.
It has certain health benefits as well. Some of them may be the regulation of blood pressure, boosting of immune system, fighting with inflammations and chronic fatigue syndrome. The patients experiencing chronic depression and who are on a dose on Opioid lately are suggested to take Kratom as a medicinal drug.
How it is used?
There are several ways to consume Kratom. Users may just eat the dried or fresh leaves of the plant. Some of them brew the leaves as well. When it is used as a clinical drug, it is consumed in the form of drug pills and capsules. When needed, some controlled doses can be injected in the body as well. Moreover, it was a common practice in the past to consume Kratom in the form of herbal tea, just like we enjoy chamomile and lemon teas these days. Kratom extracts can also be produced and sold in the form of liquid. The pharmaceutical importance varies in every type of consumption and dosage.
Is Kratom legal?
Due to a sudden rise in its use and the concerned possible risks to human health FDA has banned Kratom use in many countries. Now it is prohibited in many countries since 2014. However, it is still being prescribed and used as a controlled substance in more than 16 countries. The reason behind the ban was its short and long term side effects on human health.
Some of the short term effects included darkening of skin, itching, delusion and hallucination, nausea, chills and vomiting etc. It was also proven to mess with heart rate, blood pressure, body energy levels, consciousness, organ functions such as liver, kidney and heart, disturbed body metabolism, and the ultimate danger of myocardial infraction was also there, which could lead to the sudden death of the user.
Do health experts suggest the use of Kratom?
Due to its highly addictive nature and chemical dependence of the human body on it, the health experts don’t suggest its use unless a very distinct condition or scenario is created where it is necessarily needed. Due to its unsafe consumption, it is prohibited in many countries and that’s the reason behind the denial of physician and medicine scientists to use the drug. Some researches promise to deduce some of the controlled way of Kratom consumption, but still it is unhealthy to use.
The debate doesn’t end here, but we can say that we should opt for some other more suitable option for the patients suffering from chronic pains and ailments and complete dependence on any chemical can lead to severe problems.
