https://www.consumerreports.org/diet...r-with-kratom/
Update: On April 3, the Food and Drug Administration released the final results of heavy metals testing on 30 kratom products, following up on an initial announcement made in November. "The analysis found significant levels of lead and nickel at concentrations that exceed safe exposure for oral daily drug intake," the agency said in a statement. "Based on these test results, the typical long-term kratom user could potentially develop heavy metal poisoning, which could include nervous system or kidney damage, anemia, high blood pressure, and/or increased risk of certain cancers." (The full list of tested products and results is available online.)
Scientists from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found dangerously high levels of heavy metals, including lead, in kratom products, the agency announced on November 27.
Kratom is an herbal substance that some consumers use to treat pain, mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, and addiction, as well as to ease opioid withdrawal.
Previously, the FDA warned that components of kratom act like opioids and that certain kratom products were highly contaminated with salmonella, prompting a mandatory recall. Now, the FDA is warning consumers that regular use of some of these products could lead to heavy-metal poisoning, which can cause a variety of serious health problems.
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“The findings identifying heavy metals in kratom only strengthen our public health warnings around this substance, and concern for the health and safety of Americans using it,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.
Kratom’s legal status is currently in limbo, with bans and restrictions in place in some states. Federally, the FDA says, the substance can’t currently be legally marketed as a drug or a supplement. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) previously announced plans to list the active ingredients in the plant as Schedule I substances, like cannabis or LSD, which would make all forms of kratom illegal nationwide. But the agency temporarily reversed that decision and has not yet made a final announcement. (The DEA now lists kratom as a “drug of concern.”)