Expanded 2-paragraph summary at 6th grade reading level:

This study looked at how different types of kratom affect the body. Kratom is a plant that some people use to manage pain or reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. The researchers gave rats either a homemade kratom tea or a commercial kratom product. They measured the amounts of 11 different kratom chemicals in the rats’ blood over time.

The researchers found that the commercial kratom product led to higher levels of 4 of the kratom chemicals in the rats’ blood compared to the homemade tea. This suggests the commercial product may affect the body differently than the traditional preparation. The researchers say this information can help design better studies on how kratom affects people.

This study was done in a lab using rats, not in the real world with people.

Key takeaways:

• Measured the levels of 11 kratom chemicals in rat blood after giving them different kratom products
• The commercial kratom product led to higher levels of 4 chemicals compared to the homemade tea
• This suggests the commercial product may affect the body differently than traditional kratom preparations
• Information can help design better studies on how kratom affects people

For further reading:

Link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c01163

Full Citation:

Kamble, S. H., Berthold, E. C., King, T. I., Kanumuri, S. R. R., Popa, R., Herting, J. R., … & McCurdy, C. R. (2021). Pharmacokinetics of Eleven Kratom Alkaloids Following an Oral Dose of Either Traditional or Commercial Kratom Products in Rats. Journal of Natural Products, 84(4), 1104- 1112.