TL;DR:
Limited research suggests kratom does not significantly lower testosterone levels for most users. Studies found minimal impact on testosterone, even with long-term, daily use. However, effects may vary by individual, and more research is needed.
Kratom offers varied effects depending on dosage and is widely used for energy, relaxation, and managing health issues.
We know that people use kratom for a wide variety of reasons, from managing pain to purely recreational results.
While kratom has a long history of use in the areas where it natively grows, it’s still relatively new in many other regions. That means there’s a limited amount of definitive scientific research related to the substance available.
That includes a clear and simple answer to the question, “Does kratom lower testosterone?” However, there is some research we can review to learn what is known about this topic.
Let’s take a look at what kratom is and why people use it. Then, we’ll dive into the question of whether kratom affects testosterone.
Key Facts and Info About Kratom
Kratom refers to the leaves of the mitragyna speciosa tree and powder and other products made from those leaves. This tree is native to parts of Southeast Asia and is part of the coffee family of plants.
The major active ingredients in kratom — the chemicals that deliver the intended effects — are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These chemicals are alkaloids, part of a wide-ranging group of chemicals, including caffeine, that have a variety of effects on humans.
As research published in the journal Biochemistry Research International explains, kratom has many historical and current use cases. For example, kratom was used in traditional folk medicine and as a way to gain energy and stay alert by people in the areas where it natively grows.
Currently, kratom is used for both its practical and recreational effects by American users. Some people use it to relax or gain energy in social settings. Other users find it helps them manage health issues like pain, anxiety, and even withdrawal from opioid drugs.
Kratom has a fairly rare property among psychoactive substances: Its effects vary greatly based on the dose of kratom taken. Small doses give users an energetic and uplifting experience. Larger doses, on the other hand, are more sedating and relaxing. That’s a key reason why kratom has exploded in popularity in recent years — it taps into many wants and needs.
Kratom comes in a wide range of product types, making it similar to cannabinoids like Delta 8 in this respect. Loose powder and powder capsules are common options, but shots, gummies, and even vapes are also available.
Kratom Legality
Kratom is legal at the federal level in the US. There are no federal laws that restrict or prohibit sale, possession, or use. However, some states have laws in place related to kratom.
A few (specifically Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin) have laws that ban kratom. However, a majority of those states have or recently had pending bills in their legislatures to replace bans with a regulated approach to legal kratom sales. Beyond a few other bans on the local and county levels, kratom is otherwise legal in most individual states.
There are a variety of regulations in place across several states where kratom is legal. Common requirements relate to product testing and disclosure of results, age restrictions, and labeling rules. Some of these rules benefit adult consumers by making the quality, potency, and purity of kratom products clear.
Does Kratom Lower Testosterone?
Testosterone is an important hormone for both women and men as they develop during puberty and into adulthood. Because some substances affect hormones like testosterone, it’s only natural to wonder about the relationship between kratom and testosterone.
So, what are kratom’s effects on testosterone? Do people with medical issues related to testosterone need to be careful when using kratom, or avoid it entirely?
We want to make something clear before we share our findings. As with many specifics related to kratom, there is not a clear and definitive answer to this question. More research needs to be conducted before a simple answer like “kratom doesn’t affect testosterone” or “kratom does affect testosterone” can be said with confidence.
However, the limited research that is available seems to indicate that kratom does not pose a widespread risk related to testosterone.
For example, a peer-reviewed survey of kratom users published in the journal Research and Reports in Urology found that kratom had certain impacts on male sexual health. Survey respondents characterized these issues as both positive and negative.
Yet, there was little connection found between kratom and testosterone levels specifically. About 15% of respondents said they were concerned with kratom’s effect on testosterone. However, lightly less than 2% of respondents had a diagnosis of low testosterone following kratom use (and the survey did not determine whether kratom caused that diagnosis).
A peer-reviewed study of 19 kratom users, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, took a deeper look at whether kratom lowers testosterone, among other questions, through research methods including participant blood tests.
While it can’t be said that kratom never affects testosterone based on one study, the results were clear among the participants. Long-term (greater than two years) daily use of kratom beverages at doses of roughly 76-95 mg did not impair or reduce testosterone levels.
So, while research into kratom and testosterone specifically is limited, findings from a peer-reviewed survey and study both appear to indicate that kratom does not lower testosterone in most users.
Remember, those findings are not a blanket guarantee that kratom use never lowers testosterone or that you or any individual user won’t experience any testosterone-related side effects from kratom use. However, the research results do tell us that the impact of kratom on testosterone may be rare in the big picture.
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