United States: Kratom is an opioid-like herbal supplement that millions of Americans consume, even though reports of its risks persist.
Kratom’s Popularity and Associated Risks
It is for the same reason that the US Food and Drug Administration has released another warning for consumers to avoid a specific type of kratom called OPMS Black Liquid Kratom, as reported by HealthDay.
The FDA stated, “The FDA recently received an adverse event report of a person who died after using OPMS Black Liquid Kratom.”
Origin and Composition of Kratom
This is one in a series of serious adverse events a person has reported after using the supplement, the FDA noted.
Kratom is a tree originative herb, grown from the Afrfo-Asian tree known as Mitragyna speciosa which is in the coffee family. Currently, scientists are believe that kratom has active alkaloid mitragynine which binds to some of the central nervous system opioids receptors.
However, there are higher consequences of mitragynine consumption, too, particularly because they are hazardous to the liver and also can lead to death when taken in large quantities.
Kratom has been used for centuries and belongs to Southeast Asia, say which it helps to increase energy and to calm down, states the U. S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The new alert from the FDA noted that many users of OPMS Black Liquid Kratom reported “adverse health effects include withdrawal symptoms, addiction, digestive issues, restless leg syndrome, skin issues, aggressive behavior, increase in anxiety, lack of energy and inability to focus.”
The FDA said the two alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7-OH mitragynine), are identified on the label of the product.
The FDA stated that it is using this safety alert to inform consumers of serious adverse health effects relating to the OPMS Black Liquid Kratom. It is worth mentioning that the consumers may be convinced that kratom products have no harm since kratom is a plant material and can be brought over the counter online and in some physical shops like the vaping/smoke shops, as reported by HealthDay.
FDA’s Consumer Advisory
However, “the FDA continues to advise consumers not to use kratom because of the serious risks associated with this, including toxicity in the liver, seizures, and substance use disorder [SUD],” the agency said.