| Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree in the coffee family, found in Thailand and neighboring countries. Two compounds from kratom interact with opioid receptors in the brain. People who use kratom have reported both stimulant-like effects (increased energy, alertness, rapid heart rate) and effects like those of opioids and sedatives (relaxation, pain relief, confusion). Research on kratom is in its early stages. Much remains to be learned about the short- and long-term effects of kratom in the body, its safety, and whether it may have therapeutic uses. These resources are a great place to start: For a quick overview of kratoms traditional uses and regulation, as well as the current state of the science, check out this brief fact sheet from our Center.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has a webpage with extensive information on kratom, including descriptions of some current research projects.
One of the worlds leading kratom researchers, Dr. Christopher McCurdy of the University of Florida, recently gave a virtual lecture on kratom as part of our Integrative Medicine Research Lecture Series. You can watch the video on our website. | 