Kratom

Mitragyna speciosa

A tree of the coffee family up to twenty-five metres tall with large, glossy leaves. The leaves contain mitragynine and, in smaller amounts, 7-hydroxymitragynine, which act on the opioid receptors. For many people a little leaf is stimulating, more leaf sedating and pain-relieving.

Safety notes

Regular use can lead to physical dependence, with withdrawal symptoms on stopping. Side effects include nausea, constipation, sleeplessness and loss of appetite; more serious are depressed breathing, seizures, psychosis and liver damage. People have died, mostly after combining it with other substances; life-threatening together with opioids, alcohol, sleeping pills and tranquillisers. Mitragynine is not on the lists of the Dutch Opium Act, but kratom is banned in many other countries and is not an approved medicine. This information describes traditional use and is no encouragement or advice. Use is at your own risk; the makers of this site are not responsible for the consequences. Never alone, never together with alcohol, other drugs or medicines, not in pregnancy, with heart disease or mental illness (also in the family), and do not drive. In an emergency call 112.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Herbal medicine worldwide: Can be addictive; life-threatening with opioids, alcohol and sleeping pills. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines.

Preparation

In Thailand and Malaysia farm workers and fishermen traditionally chew the fresh leaves, with the tough veins removed first, or make a bitter tea of dried leaves, often sweetened. In Thailand kratom was also offered to guests and used in honouring the ancestors. Fresh leaves have also been laid on wounds.

Use in traditions

In Southeast Asia the leaves have been used since at least the nineteenth century, mainly to keep up hard, monotonous work in the heat, and also for diarrhoea, cough, pain, worms and as a substitute for opium. The Dutch botanist Pieter Korthals described the tree in 1839. Thailand banned kratom in 1943 and removed it from its list of narcotics in 2021; since then it may be grown and sold there under conditions.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Herbal medicine worldwide

Attributed effects

To keep up hard work in the heat, and for diarrhoea, cough and pain.

Preparation and amount

Fresh leaves without the veins chewed, or dried leaves as a bitter, sweetened tea.

Caution: Can be addictive; life-threatening with opioids, alcohol and sleeping pills. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines.

Ways to prepare herbs: Tea (infusion)

Sources

All herbs from Asia →