Kratom herb...what is its relationship to narcotic substances that cause addiction?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - A new study shows that the number of calls received by poison centers in the United States related to the widely available herb kratom increased by more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025. “These data reflect a troubling trend,” study co-author and director of the Blue Ridge Toxicology Center at the University of Virginia, Dr. Christopher Holstege, said in a press release.

The study was published Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kratom is a plant extracted from the leaves of a tropical tree scientifically known as Mitragyna speciosa, which is native to Southeast Asia.

This herb has a dual effect, as it can act as a stimulant or as a sedative, and it may cause the risk of addiction due to the way it interacts with the brain, according to what one of the most prominent researchers in this field and professor of clinical medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida, Dr. Oliver Grundman, explained to Ufoq News. This psychoactive substance is not federally regulated and therefore is not legally marketed in the United States as a drug, dietary supplement or food additive, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

However, kratom is sold in states that have not banned it, whether at gas stations, smoke shops, convenience stores, grocery stores, or health food stores, in a variety of forms such as powders, tea leaves, capsules, tablets, and extracts. In some states, they can be purchased without age restrictions.

An estimated 2 million Americans consume the herb, according to a study co-authored by Grundman published in 2024. “We are seeing a significant increase in the penetration of kratom-related products in the US market,” Holstege said.

The expert and other researchers analyzed data from the National Poison System and found that the number of calls related to the plant gradually rose between 2015 and 2019, then stabilized between 2020 and 2024, before seeing a big jump in 2025. Symptoms of kratom poisoning include the following: It may also cause palpitations, feeling dizzy, shortness of breath, fainting, and chest pain.

Last year, 3,434 cases of kratom-related poisoning were recorded in the United States, a record number compared to only 258 cases in 2015. Researchers believe that these results may reflect its increasing availability and effectiveness.

Kratom and the brain Kratom leaves contain more than 40 alkaloids, which are organic compounds found naturally in plants, and are distinguished by their ability to cause clear physiological effects in the human body. Mitragynine is one of the most abundant psychoactive alkaloids in kratom, another leading kratom researcher and former assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, Kirsten Smith, told Ufoq News.

This compound is transformed in the body into 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH. This compound is also present in kratom products as a result of the drying stage during the manufacturing process, usually in a concentration of 1% to 2% or less.

Both mitragynine and 7-OH bind to mu opioid receptors in the brain, which play a role in regulating pain, breathing, gastrointestinal activity, and more. This science, in addition to the similar effect of some opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone, has led some experts and politicians to classify kratom as an opioid.

But the herb's effect may be weaker, because its compounds bind less tightly to these receptors. However, cases of addiction of varying severity have been recorded among some kratom users.

Some people who have suffered from opioid use disorder also turn to kratom as an alternative that is believed to be less harmful, or as a way to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Others use it to relieve chronic pain, to have a calming effect, or to try to treat psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, despite the lack of scientific evidence to support these uses.

Government agencies at the federal and state levels have begun to tighten restrictions on semi-synthetic 7-OH, natural kratom, or both to varying degrees. Natural kratom is regulated in at least 22 states, and has been banned in 8 states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Ohio, and Vermont.