hit counter

Kratom Withdrawal Symptoms

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an evergreen tree from the Rubiaceae (coffee) family that produces leaves containing numerous psychoactive compounds, most notably including indole alkaloids: 7-hydroxymitragynine, mitraphylline, and mitragynine.  When ingested by humans, the aforestated indole alkaloids significantly modulate CNS activity primarily via partial agonism of mu-opioid receptors (MORs).  In addition, evidence from pharmacodynamic investigations suggests …

Read more

Kratom Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an evergreen tree of the coffee (Rubiaceae) family native to countries such as: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand.  It is best known for generating leaves that contain upwards of 40 distinct psychoactive compounds.  Pharmacological research indicates that the psychoactive constituents of kratom – most prominent being [indole alkaloids] …

Read more

Kratom For Opiate Withdrawal: A Popular “Natural” Intervention

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree from the coffee family (Rubiaceae) native to Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia.  The kratom tree produces leaves containing psychoactive compounds, and when ingested, these compounds are capable of eliciting opioidergic and/or stimulatory effects.  Although it is estimated that kratom leaves contain …

Read more

Magnesium For Depression: An Underexplored Treatment

Magnesium is regarded as an essential mineral for humans and functions as a cofactor in upwards of 300 biochemical processes throughout the body.  For example, magnesium is implicated in: ATP production, blood pressure regulation, bone development, glucose modulation, heart rhythm normalization, muscle and nerve function, plus protein synthesis.  Knowing that magnesium is essential for optimal …

Read more

Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

Magnesium deficiency was first documented by Hirschfelder and Haury (1934) in a report entitled Clinical Manifestations of High and Low Plasma Magnesium.  Since the publishing of this report in the 1930s, our understanding of magnesium deficiencies has advanced significantly.  We now know that hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium below 1.7 mg/dL) is not always indicative of an …

Read more

Ubiquinol Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Ubiquinol is an electron-rich, highly-bioavailable, fully reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that occurs naturally within all of our cells.  When we’re young, the body is well-equipped to synthesize ubiquinone into ubiquinol (via Q Cycle reactions) which elicits an antioxidant effect to reduce free radicals and enhances cellular energy.  However, biological aging interferes with a …

Read more

Probiotics Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Probiotics are considered living microorganisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, are conducive to the health of their host.  The term probiotic is derived from the preposition “pro” (meaning “for”) and “biōtikos” (meaning “fit for life”), and is associated with the introduction of beneficial bacteria, contrasting with the term antibiotic (associated with the destruction of …

Read more