Can Kratom Damage the Liver?

 

As you may know, many medications can have an adverse impact on the liver. Since kratom is used as a remedy for many different conditions (ranging from chronic pain to opiates withdrawal or anxiety) and the traditional medications for these ailments can turn out very harmful to the liver. But, can kratom damage the liver?

 

The Human Liver and Its Functions

 

The liver is a large gland located in the upper right quadrant of the abdominal cavity; it is the only organ in our body that can grow and repair itself.

The liver is part of the digestive system and its main functions are:

  • To produce substances that make the food we ingest more digestible.
  • To filter the toxins that enter our body.

Our liver will filter all the elements we intake and dispose of the harmful substances. The liver is a great filter in our organism.

 

Can Kratom Damage Your Liver?

 

Kratom active elements are mostly alkaloids and metabolites that own properties similar to those of opiates. In fact, these substances impact the opiate receptors in our brains in the same way actual opiates do. Due to this kratom is used for many diseases and ailments which are traditionally treated with opioids (anxiety, depression, conditions which imply strong physical pain like fibromyalgia or arthritis, opiate withdrawal…). This has led many to wonder whether kratom can turn out harmful to their liver.

Kratom does not cause any damage to the liver. In fact, kratom does not show any of the dangerous side effects of opioids, even though it acts in a similar way.

So far, there’s only one case that relates kratom to liver damage. It refers to the case of a 25-year-old German man who suffered from a type of liver condition (intrahepatic cholestasis). This happened after an excessive use (or rather, abuse) of kratom. Nonetheless, the condition was not fatal. Also, it is important to note that this man had been taking up to 6 teaspoons of kratom powder per day for at least two weeks. This is an incredibly (and abnormally) high dosage and, definitely, not recommended at all. Furthermore, in the report of the case (that you can read here), it can never be fully established nor confirmed the link between kratom and liver damage. In normal doses, kratom will not harm your liver.

 

Kratom Dosage to Prevent Liver Damage

 

Make sure you do not take too high doses, not only for your liver’s sake (too large doses of kratom could indeed place an extra, unwanted strain on your liver) but to avoid unpleasant effects. Also, to avoid the development of kratom tolerance. Remember that any substance in excess can cause damage to the liver and to other organs in your body. And kratom is not an exception to this rule.

Yes, it is true that kratom can provide many benefits for you, but you need it to use it cautiously and wisely, following the tips about recommended doses (a regular dosage will not place strain on the liver and will not turn out harmful) and buying kratom from top reliable vendors to avoid fake kratom that could be potentially dangerous.