Kratom Contamination Causes Illness

In February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall and destruction of an array of products that contain kratom, an herb native to parts of Southeast Asia. The FDA has concluded that kratom poses a risk to human health, and that there is no reliable evidence to support its use as a health aid so if you were in the market to buy kratom, it may be something to keep in mind.

"The extensive scientific data we've evaluated about kratom provides conclusive evidence that compounds contained in kratom are opioids and are expected to have similar addictive effects as well as risks of abuse, overdose and, in some cases, death. At the same time, there's no evidence to indicate that kratom is safe or effective for any medical use," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. in a press release.

Additionally, there has recently been an outbreak of salmonellosis caused by contaminated kratom products; the illness is caused by a strain of Salmonella bacteria. There have been a number of cases of infection across over 20 states, including several hospitalizations.