4 of the Most Common Myths about Kratom

Kratom has been gaining in popularity over the last few years because of its many properties. While the plant hasn't gone fully mainstream yet, there is a solid and growing community out there that likes to extol its many virtues and benefits. But there are still tons of myths and misconceptions about this little known plant. In this article, we're going to give you some of the most common myths about kratom.

Kratom is Synthetic

With all the hysteria surrounding synthetic drugs, a lot of misinformation has been floating around about kratom, with many assuming that it is a synthetic drug as well. That's mainly because kratom started to become popular around the same time as other synthetic drugs and when incidents surrounding bath salts and other legal highs started making the news.

Kratom in its pure form comes only from crushed dried leaves and is a completely organic substance that demands no transformation. However, some of the components of the plant can be synthesized to produce other drugs, which often adds to the confusion.

Kratom Isn't Addictive

Kratom is often used as a treatment to kick opioid addictions. And since it comes from plants, people often assume that it isn't addictive. But kratom can be habit forming as well. And the amount you take will also have an effect on how addictive it can be. That's why it's very important that you know the proper kratom dosage before you start. Taking it in the wrong dose could lead to many other adverse effects. You could also start building a tolerance and need a higher dosage every time to get the same results, so be aware of that.

Kratom is Dangerous for Your Health

Another piece of misinformation about kratom is how potentially dangerous it can be. This was most likely spread by the DEA in an attempt to demonize the plant. Data about hospitalizations related to kratom are often used to support this misconception, but the number of kratom-related incidents is only a minuscule fraction of those related to over the counter drugs like acetaminophen (Tylenol), for instance. Not to mention all those related to energy drinks or caffeine. What they forget to mention is that most of the time, incidents are caused by mixing various drugs together, and the combination of drugs, not kratom itself, was often the real reason behind them.

There has been no Study done on the Plant

While kratom is still unknown to many, the plant was introduced in the West as early as the 1800s and has been used for centuries. Researchers began trying to synthetize and isolate some of the compounds found in the plant in the early 1900s. Since then, many pharmaceutical companies have studied the plant. Hundreds of studies surrounding kratom have been released over the last couple of years and researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to use the plant in pharmaceuticals.

Conclusion

Still much remains unknown about Kratom, so before you decide to make it part of your routine or use it for treatment, make sure that you do your homework on the substance first.