Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia that is used for centuries as a medicinal herb. It has been associated with a wide range of health benefits, including pain relief and reducing blood sugar levels. It is also being used to treat conditions such as opiate withdrawal and alcoholism.
Despite its many positive health benefits, kratom has a number of drawbacks. One of the biggest concerns is that it can be dangerous, especially in people with diabetes. It isn't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and it can cause serious side effects like increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis and death. Check out the full kratom interaction list here: http://kratom.org/interactions/
Cases of liver damage with kratom use were recently reported by researchers in the medical journal Drug Safety, which reviewed 404 cases of liver injury related to dietary supplements. Eight of the cases were linked to kratom, and these patients were using the herb for two to six weeks before the symptoms appeared.
These cases are often self-reported and do not have the confirmation of a poison center, so researchers have a difficult time determining whether they are true kratom-related injuries. In fact, there is no evidence to show that kratom increases blood glucose levels or metabolizes the body's sugar more effectively than other substances.
The pharmacokinetics of kratom and metformin will be investigated in this study by administering low doses of a well-characterized kratom product and the CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 'probe' drugs dextromethorphan (AMD) and midazolam (MAB) to non-naive subjects as a tea. Plasma and urine will be collected from 0-120 hours.
A recent study found that kratom may have a protective effect against metabolic syndrome, a condition where fat deposits in the liver and other parts of the body create a buildup of pressure called steatosis. However, this study was limited by the cross-sectional design and its lack of a control group. Further research using a prospective design that includes potential confounding factors is needed to better understand the association between kratom and the development of MetS.