Josh Samek
Last Updated on November 9, 2023
What Is Kratom and Why Is It So Popular?
You have landed here while searching “why kratom is popular?” Kratom has become no less than a household name these past few years. For those of you who are still in the dark, it’s a powerful herb that goes by the name Mitragyna Speciosa in the science sphere. It is derived from the leaves of an evergreen tree located in the rich terrain of Southeast Asia. For centuries, people have consumed Kratom either by chewing the leaves or brewing it in the form of tea to heighten their mental and physical capabilities. In fact, since the nineteenth century, the people of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have been benefiting from this herb to make them more alert and invigorated at work.
Essentially, Kratom leaves consist of two active compounds called Mitragynine – an indole-based alkaloid – and 7-Hydroxymitragynine – a terpenoid indole alkaloid present in minority. In layman terms, these compounds act on the peripheral and central nervous systems. Thus, they tend to have the same effect of relief on our brain as a powerful drug would. However, Kratom is not something to worry about – at least not if you’re a responsible person. These alkaloids are only present somewhere between 0.5 to 1.5% in dried kratom leaves; a safe percentage for consumption.
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Kratom is available in a wide variety of forms to cater to its ever-growing audience on a global scale. Basically, there are three major veins: Red, White, and Green. These veins differ depending on the time of harvesting. White refers to the earliest stage, Red the last point of maturation, while Green falls somewhere in between. There is a fourth strain as well that’s acquired from a unique small-batch drying process using Green veins; Yellow.
Generally, Red strains are consumed for their analgesic and relaxing properties, White veins for boosting energy, and Greens for a little bit of both.
Any further division depends on the region of growth such as Bali, Thai, and Malay. You’ll find these strains available for consumption as powders, gel capsules, extracts, each with its own level of potency.
Unfortunately, Kratom has garnered a bad reputation over the years ever since its potential has come to light among the general population. As more and more people began to consume this herb, the FDA and DEA started to have concerns. The fact is that there is a lack of evidence to support or oppose Kratom on a whole; hence, the controversy that has struck the people of the US for a few years now.
Kratom gained a bad reputation after the FDA has had to recall Kratom products when multiple cases of contamination came to light. Often, Kratom products were found adulterated with heavy metals, salmonella, and powerful psychoactive drugs. A lot of people have wound up in the hospital in these cases, with the authorities having to issue multiple warnings.
If there’s anything that invites controversy, the norm has to be involved – curiosity strikes every time. During this heated timespan, more and more people became eager to know what the hype was about. Thus, Kratom sales went through the roof in the past four years.
There is very little research to support the beneficial role of Kratom in our daily lives. However, there are thousands of consumer reports where individuals have expressed how Kratom has helped them improve their quality of life.
Many people who started taking Kratom to deal with chronic pain have reported a good level of improvement on a daily basis. War veterans have found solace in Kratom when handfuls of prescription pills weren’t doing them any good.
The most commonly reported effects include euphoria, energy boost, improved cognitive abilities, pain relief, relaxation, and reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression. A lot of cases also elucidate Kratom’s powerful role in managing both mood and anxiety disorders like BPD and PTSD.
In short, Kratom users have experienced an improvement in their overall quality of life. Whether it’s performing better at work or sleeping peacefully at night, there is a strain of Kratom to suit everyone’s needs.
The opioid crisis has been prevailing in the US since the 90s after prescriptions for different ailments increased considerably. The epidemic takes thousands of deaths every year – over 50,000 in 2019 according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Recreational use of opiates has also been on the rise, with millions of Americans being hopelessly dependent.
It’s not easy to fight this battle, especially since addiction is a powerful habit to kick. Fortunately, Kratom has proven to be a helping hand for many people in this situation. By significantly easing withdrawal symptoms from opioid drugs, Kratom has opened the door to recovery for a lot of people.
Individuals suffering from pain now tend to prefer Kratom over opioid painkillers as the latter often does them more harm than good.
With a lack of scientific evidence, it is still too soon for the official authorities to have a conclusive stance on Kratom. However, there are a lot of real people with real cases of recovery. For them, Kratom provides the little push they need to make every living day a little bit easier. Moreover, a lot of health professionals claim that regulation of this herb might be a better route than outright banning it.
The fact remains; as long as you maintain moderate consumption and take proper precaution when purchasing a Kratom product, you are very less likely to face any trouble.
