As kratom use grows across the U.S.—now estimated at 10 to 16 million users—researchers are taking stock of what science actually knows about the Southeast Asian plant. A newly published toxicology review dug through roughly 200 studies to assess the safety profile of its active compounds, which produce stimulant, pain-relieving, and opioid-like effects depending on dose.
Evidence suggests kratom is relatively low-risk for typical, single-substance users, but scientists still don’t have solid data on what alkaloid doses actually trigger harm—information regulators and health providers need before drawing firmer conclusions.
Read the full report from ScienceDirect.
