Being a versatile herb, Kratom is used for relaxation, calming, and boosting energy levels, which has made it gain immense popularity in recent times. It is a tropical deciduous tree found along the Southeast Asian region. This herb is available in white, red, and green variants, capable of providing sedative, simulative, and relaxing effects.
The leaves of this tree are used mainly for preparing medicines, as it has many health benefits. As it was used as opium’s natural substitute earlier, it was banned in a few regions. However, most countries like the US have legalized using Kratom, as it provides numerous health benefits.
The leaves of this herb have a soothing effect similar to morphine, but it has no addictive qualities. You can buy Kratom in liquid extracts, capsules, powders, crushed tea leaves, etc., to use in any desired form. Kratom leaves consist of several nutrients, organic substances, and chemical compounds like alkaloids that help it to treat several medical conditions.
It is capable of lowering blood pressure levels, promoting good sleep, preventing stress, relieving pain, aiding in addiction, improving metabolism, eliminating anxiety, improving sexual energy, preventing diabetes, and promoting the immune system.
List of Top 10 Health Benefits Of Kratom
Let’s look at the top 10 health benefits offered by Kratom leaves.
1. Eases Pain
Kratom leaves are widely known for providing excellent pain relief. Various cultures have used it widely in ancient times to reduce the pain associated with multiple illnesses. The analgesic properties of this herbal tree help alleviate pain quickly, as the alkaloids have a quick impact on the hormonal system.
It improves dopamine and serotonin levels by releasing it in the body to relieve the pain. The herb’s alkaloids can also numb your body’s pain receptors. Its morphine-like action makes it an apt choice for dealing with extreme pain.
2. Boosts Your Immune System
The presence of several alkaloids in the leaves of the Kratom tree is known to have a combined effect on your immune system. It strengthens and offers your body the ability to recover faster. The anecdotal ability of this herb improves the immune system to prevent diseases and lowers the severity of all illnesses.
3. Provides Excellent Energy
Kratom leaves have impressive metabolic effects that make them popular among the healthiest herbs available across the globe. It improves your energy levels by promoting specific metabolic processes and has a negative impact on your hormones.
It also promotes the levels of blood circulation and improves the oxygen levels in the blood, which, when paired with fast-paced metabolic activities, offers a burst of energy. This is why ancient medicines use Kratom as a natural solution for patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
4. Prevents Mood Swings, Anxiety, And Stress
The soothing and relaxing effects of Kratom make it an ideal choice for individuals who are suffering from mental stability issues. It is often utilized as an anxiolytic substance for treating people experiencing mood swings, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.
It regulates the body’s hormones and provides good relief from such exhausting symptoms caused by a chemical imbalance. It benefits those who have PTSD, panic attacks, careers with high-stress levels, depressive disorders, and anxiety.
5. Aids In Addiction Recovery
Those facing the issue of overcoming addiction to opium can find good relief by using Kratom leaves. When they chew on the leaves of this herb, they can get an excellent cure for their addiction issues without experiencing any adverse side effects and comedowns.
It also helps offer better relief from withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia, pain, aches, diarrhea, and nausea. People trying to ditch their habit of using opium can turn to Kratom as a perfect solution.
It can also help deal with withdrawal symptoms during the transition phase from the addicting drug. As Kratom has no addictive properties, it is safe and will not put you at withdrawal risk.
6. Promotes Heart Health
Kratom leaves can help lower blood pressure levels, as it has chemical components that positively impact your body’s hormones, arteries, and blood vessels. It also eases the tension in the cardiovascular system to prevent various heart diseases. This herb will also help prevent chronic health issues like heart attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis.
7. Enhances Libido
Kratom leaves can improve an individual’s sexual appetite, making it an apt choice for those suffering from sexual disorders like erectile dysfunction and low levels of sexual energy. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac and sexual enhancer.
It is beneficial for enhancing fertility and libido levels for improving conception rates. It helps improve the sexual health of both men and women.
8. Offers Better Sleep
Kratom is one of the helpful natural remedies that can improve your sleep quality. It can shut down the brain’s stimulating regions to help you have a peaceful sleep. Having a cup of tea brewed with Kratom leaves helps in falling asleep quickly. It also helps people feel very refreshed and well-rested the following day.
9. Boosts Mood
Kratom is highly beneficial in lifting your spirits by boosting your mood. It can help you feel satisfied, happy, and positive while offering a sense of well-being. It promotes the cognitive state and can improve the euphoric emotional state of an individual. This herb can block all negative thoughts and provides an optimistic feel by offering a soothing feeling.
10. Improves Concentration
Kratom is known to act as a focus booster and as a nootropic. This herb’s white and green strains can promote mental energy to improve focus on everyday activities. It can also promote ADHD and ADD symptoms by developing concentration. It can help you think even while performing tedious mental work.
The ten benefits offered by Kratom listed above would help you understand that it can be used for healing without any side effects. However, use it in small amounts to avoid a Kratom hangover featuring nausea and headaches.
Key Facts About Kratom
- Origin: Native to Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia
- Family: Rubiaceae family
- Tree Appearance: Tropical evergreen tree reaching heights of 4-16 meters
- Leaves: Large, dark green, glossy with pointed tips
- Flowers: Small, round, and yellow clustered flowers
- Uses: Traditionally used for its stimulant and sedative effects
- Active Compounds: Contains alkaloids like mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine
- Traditional Uses: Used in folk medicine for pain relief, energy, and mood enhancement
- Cultivation: Prefers tropical climates, with moist, rich soil and ample sunlight
- Propagation: Grown by seeds and cuttings
- Global Popularity: Gaining popularity worldwide, especially in wellness communities
- Regulation: Banned or regulated in some countries due to potential for misuse
FAQ on Kratom
What are the side effects of Kratom?
Since it is an opioid drug, it has side effects similar to such drugs. Some of the top health hazards are –
- Increase in urination
- Decreased appetite
- Dryness of mouth
- Giddy or dizziness
- Skin Itch
- Excess sweating
- Confused state of mind
- Being bewildered or in a state of confusion
As per Livertox, excessive use of this herb causes acute liver injury. The injury starts within 2-8 weeks of regularly taking the herbal drug in the form of powder or tablet. Some effects include dark urine, which could be followed by jaundice. Other side effects include sickness or vomiting, extreme tiredness, and pruritus.
Is Kratom addictive, and what are its withdrawal symptoms?
As per , it is an opioid drug that might cause addiction. Reported cases of addiction have been found where people feel physical symptoms when not taking it. Some of the withdrawal symptoms include –
- Body and muscle ache
- Mental, emotional and social changes
- Unfriendliness or antagonism
- Belligerence
- Shaky movements
- Being irritable
- Running nose
Can you smoke Kratom?
One should never attempt to smoke it. The leaves of this herb are first prepared as a tea. This tea is drained and then consumed. The recommended dose of leaves is challenging to smoke easily. Smoking Kratom will not give any sort of high feeling like cigarettes or other abusive drugs. For anything to provide high, its active ingredient should reach the brain via the bloodstream. This is not possible in the case of this herb, unlike nicotine.
How long do the effects of Kratom last?
The onset of the effects of taking this herb varies by the way it is taken –
- Capsule: The effect takes the longest time if it is taken in the form of a capsule. This happens because the capsule takes some time to dissolve in the stomach.
- Empty Stomach: If it is taken on an empty stomach, the effect generally takes up to 40 minutes.
- After meal: If the stomach is full, the effect will start showing in 1 to 1.5 hours.
A dose of recommended Kratom on a healthy person lasts nearly 6 hours.
1 Comment
It’s great that kratom capsules can increase someone’s energy output for a day. My husband recently got a new job at a warehouse and it requires him to do a lot of heavy lifting throughout the day. He often comes home too tired and exhausted to do anything and spends his rest day just recovering. I’m thinking that maybe kratom capsules can help give him the energy boost he needs while at work so that he doesn’t end up as exhausted as he usually does.