Most Effective: Toss-n-Wash
In some previous articles we discussed Kratom taken in a few different ways; toss & wash, capsules or mixed drink. But I often hear people ask “Which method is most effective way of taking Kratom?”. To understand the best way to take Kratom we need to learn a little bit about the pharmacology of mitragynine (MG).
In a study published in 2019 in the open access journal ACS Central Science came upon a some new findings in the pharmacology of mitragynine (MG). Prior studies reflected that the effects of mitragynine (MG) came from binding to the mu opioid receptor (MOR). But in this new study that evidence was found that when MG is administered orally it is first metabolized in the liver into 7-hydroxomitragynine (7-OH), which then attaches to the mu opioid receptor (MOR) to produce more potent pain relieving effects. Mitragynine and 7-OH are G protein-biased agonists of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) classifying them as atypical opioids and have postulated that that these compounds may provide a greater therapeutic window between analgesia and classical opioid side effects.
The results presented provides us with the understanding that oral ingestion metabolizes mitragynine into 7OH and contributes to the analgesic effects of mitragynine and clarify the importance of the route of administration for determining the activity of this compound.
7-hydroxomitragynine which is considered to be the more potent alkaloid in Kratom but is also the less abundant alkaloid in the Kratom leaf. It was thought that thru grinding the leaf or creating extracts would produce a more potent Kratom product. But since this particular study published in 2019 in the open access journal ACS Central Science showings that oral ingestion; the analgesia induced by mitragynine (MG) metabolizes into 7-OH, the potency appears to largely dependent on the formation of 7-OH as a metabolite and not as a parent compound.
In some pure mitragynine (MG) studies with mice was found to produce greater analgesic effects if administered orally than say injections under the skin. Another study took two groups of mice and administered one group with mitragynine and the other with 7-OH. Both groups were found to have similar levels of concentrations of 7-OH in the brain. As MG metabolizes into 7-OH and remains stable in the liver.
Metabolism varies from human to human. Humans who have abnormally higher or lower levels of certain liver enzymes may be more or less sensitive to Kratom. This also suggests that Kratom consumers should pay attention to their metabolism and liver health in order to avoid negative or impotent effects of Kratom.
