As you may know, many medications can hurt the liver. As you know, 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 may 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 these properties, kratom is used for many diseases and ailments that are traditionally treated with opioids (anxiety, depression, conditions that imply strong physical pain like fibromyalgia or arthritis, opiate withdrawal…). This fact has led many to wonder whether kratom can turn out harmful to their liver.
But what is the answer to the question: “Can kratom damage the liver”?
So far, there is only one official 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 the link between kratom and liver damage. In normal doses, kratom does not seem to be harmful to your liver.
Kratom Dosage to Prevent Liver Damage
Make sure you avoid high doses. And 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 prevent kratom tolerance. Remember that any substance in excess can cause damage to the liver and 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 to use it cautiously and wisely, following the tips about recommended doses (it is not confirmed that a regular dosage will place strain on the liver and will not turn out harmful) and buying kratom from reliable vendors to avoid fake kratom that could be potentially dangerous.
