ScienceTechyNews: Kratom's reputed pain-relief benefits could come from one of its metabolites

Kratom is a Southeast Asian tree with a long history of use in traditional medicine. In the region, the plant's leaves are widely consumed for pain relief, treatment of opioid addiction and other uses. Though its efficacy and safety are unproven, kratom use has spread to the US and Europe. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science that a metabolite of a kratom alkaloid could be responsible for the treatment's therapeutic effects.

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