Nowadays it is quite common that a new product appears relatively out of nowhere, from whichsuddenly becomes a big trend thanks to the influencers who promote it on social media. We could see this, for example, with CBD, which became a big hit in a short time and is now sold by countless manufacturers across the Czech Republic. Another case in point is kratom. Its popularity continues to grow and an almost unknown substance is becoming a big hit.recommended by many well-known personalities, often even people well-known in the fitness community.
So in today's article we'll talk a little bit about how kratom works, what it's used for and we'll also answer the question of whether it's really as amazing as it's often claimed to be.
What exactly is kratom?
Have you never heard of kratom and don't know what to make of this mysterious word? It is an evergreen tropical tree with yellow flowers that grows in front of thein Southeast Asia and has historically been used primarily in traditional medicine. Its dried leaves or smaller stems are used for consumption. It is also known as Mitragyna speciosa. Even abroad, however, the simpler name kratom is used. It is most commonly found naturally in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia, although its distribution is already banned in some countries (Thailand, Malaysia, Burma).
Why is this tree so interesting? Because it contains a high number of different alkaloids (up to several dozen), from which many of kratom's positive and negative effects derive. Among the most important ones are mitragynine and 7-α-hydroxymitragynine (7-HMG), however, the totalThere are over 20 known alkaloids in the dried leaves of kratom and many others that have not been further investigated.
Kratom is shrouded in many question marks
It is important to point out at the outset a very important fact - the alkaloids in kratom act on opinoid receptors, the same receptors that respond to opiates. This accounts for many of kratom's effects and it is therefore not surprising that it is similar in many ways to the most well-known opioids. That alone should raise the hackles of anyone using or considering kratom. At the same time, it should be remembered that it is very difficult to objectively describe the effects of kratom, as there is not a sufficient amount of reliable studies, many of the alkaloids in kratom have not been studied, and certainly not how they work in combination. To make matters worse, it is very difficult (often downright impossible) to determine the composition of a particularof the product, which of course makes it difficult to investigate how kratom affects people (more on that in a moment). Any claims about how kratom works therefore need to be seen in this context.
The positives associated with kratom use
The most common reason people take kratom is to promote focus, feeling energized and having long-lasting energy. This is a big plus especially for students or people in jobs with high demands on concentration. At the same time, kratom is known for its ability to suppress pain and anxiety. While the list of kratom's positive effects is longer, it varies from person to person. This is another of the many problems that accompany kratom. Everyone's body is different and thus reacts differently to similar substances. Therefore, each person may experience different effects of kratom and to a different degree. There is therefore no guarantee that you will feel the same after taking it as someone else.
Kratom is widely used in opiate withdrawal. As mentioned earlier, kratom stimulates the same receptors as substances that are widely used as drugs. It is therefore possible to alleviate withdrawal symptoms thanks to it.
Kratom carries a number of risks and negative effects
When taking kratom, one must remember that there is not a very large amount of of studies conducted on humans from which we can learn more about the effects of kratom. A big risk is increasing tolerance to kratom. In practice, this is manifested by the fact that one needs to use kratom to achieve the same purposes.higher and higher doses to achieve the same effects, which is typical of opiates. In addition, it is very easy to slip into regular use, although even in this respect it is very subjective and may not be a problem for some. However, once addiction has set in, it is very difficult to quit kratom. In fact, withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe. These include muscle and bone pain, inability to work, aggression, cramps and much more. Taking kratom can also cause diarrhoea, itching or nausea.
Is kratom legal?
Currently, kratom can be sold freely in the Czech Republic, but only as a collector's item as it is not approved as a dietary supplement. That's why you can always notice a few sentences in e-shops selling kratom that the product is not suitable for internal use (the same can be encountered in the case of CBD). In reality, however, not many people probably keep powder from the leaves of an exotic tree at home. Kratom travels to Europe from Indonesia, but because it is not officially a dietary supplement, it is hardly regulated at all and there is little quality control.
Interestingly, however, in many of the countries where kratom originally comes from, its distribution is banned. The fact that countries that have had long experience with kratom (such as Thailand and Burma) have decided to ban the substance casts a rather large shadow over it. If kratom is really as harmless as many manufacturers try to claim, why have countries where kratom has long been part of traditional medicine decided to proceed in this way?
What types of kratom are there?
Kratom can be divided into several groups, but the most common ones you will come across are red, green and white kratom. What are the differences between these types? Different varieties contain different amounts of alkaloids and this is what determines their effects. Probably the most popular is white kratom, which is characterised by its energising effectseffects, promoting concentration, relieving pain and having an overall positive effect on mood. Green kratom is slightly stronger and its greatest benefits include improving sleep quality, calming, improving mood and so on. The strongest effects of the commercially available kratom varieties arered kratom, which is more analgesic - it reduces pain, soothes and gives a feeling of euphoria.
Again, I feel it is important to mention that the effects may vary from person to person and that there are not enough relevant studies conducted on humans. At the same time, the more promising the positive effects of kratom are, the more serious the negatives can be.
Kratom and addiction
In the absence of sufficient studies, it cannot be said with certainty that kratom is truly addictive, however there are studies that suggest that , at a minimum, people taking high doses of kratom can develop an addiction. Of course, the risk of addiction increases with increasing frequency of kratom use. However, in relation to the development of addiction, it should again be pointed out that everyone's body works a little differently. While some people are not genetically predisposed to easily develop an addiction to a substance, someone else may be much more susceptible. The same is true for all addictive substances, and there's no reason why kratom should be any different.
A beautiful example is caffeine - many people drink coffee daily, yet have no problem cutting back on it for a while. But a certain group of people can't function normally without coffee after a short time of drinking it. Think about this the next time you hear someone say they have been using kratom for a long time and have no problem stopping. And when you do start using kratom, try to use it only sporadically and not too often.
Problems with under-regulation
Finally, I think it is important to spend some time on the problems associated with the lack of regulation of kratom sales. As mentioned earlier, kratom is currently not officially considered a dietary supplement. It is therefore not subject to very strict regulation, which brings with it a great many problems. In fact, all products differ slightly in their alkaloid content. As a result, you don't really know how strong kratom is in your hand. There is no regulatory mechanism that limits the amount of these substances in the products sold. So it's quite possible that once you've taken kratom you feel almost no effect and the second time you take it after the same dose of a seemingly identical product, you will feel several times the effect. While more credible manufacturers often publish the results of their analyses of theirof their product, but these analyses only show the amount of alkaloids that have been tested for. This does not mean that kratom does not contain much more. The quantity is not known.
There is also a big question mark over the purity and quality of the individual products. It is not at all unusual to find completely different substances in kratom powder, and it is quite possible that these may be contaminants. From a safety point of view, therefore, there is a lot of doubt as to whether kratom is suitable for use.
A few words in conclusion
It is probably clear from the above that kratom is far from being the great substance it is often made out to be. Of course, there are many arguments that support its use, but the potential risks associated with it outweigh these positives in our opinion. The biggest problem is the lack of regulation combined with very one-sided promotion on the internet. Of course, manufacturers will not tell you about all the possible risks associated with kratom use. Therefore, most people do not even get all the relevant information, so that kratom ends up looking like a completely harmless substance, which is definitely not the case. In the absence of a large number of reliable studies, it is advisable to approach this substance with a fair degree of caution.
If you are looking for a product that will help you focus and support your performanceperformance at school or work, check out our ranking of the best nootropics.
On the topic of kratom, that's all for now, but we'd love for you to contact us in the comments with any questions.
Why can you trust us?
Sport has been my lifelong passion, I have been close to it since I was a child. For a long time I was primarily involved in athletics, which also eventually led me to the gym. Every good sprinter knows that to get one tenth of a start, he must therefore sacrifice hundreds of hours in training. And it was this toil behind the curtain, which no one sees, that was my greatest passion.
Every kilo in the gym helped me to move a little closer to my goal and I fell in love with the gym very quickly. Even though I don't race anymore, nothing has changed in my relationship with uncompromising training.