Understanding kratom alkaloids is important before you can fully appreciate what makes Maeng Da kratom special. Most people are buying kratom because of the alkaloids it contains, and the alkaloid profile in Maeng Da kratom is supposed to be among the most desirable. Kratom is sold for educational purposes here in the United States, and most people who buy kratom to study it are interested in learning more about the natural organic compounds called alkaloids.
One of the most interesting things about alkaloids is that, by definition, they are known or believed to produce a physiological effect for human beings or other animals. According to kratom researchers published by the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, the alkaloids in kratom actually interact with multiple opioid receptors in the human body. This is part of the reason kratom has such support from many members of the scientific community in the United States.
Even though kratom alkaloids are completely natural, their interactions may be similar to those of some pharmaceutical drugs. Examples of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs include ibuprofen, tramadol, oxycodone, fentanyl, and some anesthesia medications. Since some of those drugs are associated with public health crises and dangerous side effects, many kratom advocates are interested to learn if the Mitragyna speciosa tree might offer a more natural way to interact with opioid receptors in the human body.
The two most prevalent kratom alkaloids, or at least the two that have been studied the most, are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Mitragynine is the more common of the two, as it’s the most common alkaloid in just about every kratom powder or kratom product you’re likely to find. As a result, it’s been studied the most. Pharmacological researchers (via the study linked above) has published information that mitragynine interacts with the delta-opioid, kappa-opioid, and mu-opioid receptors. Check the original study if you want to take a deeper dive into the science behind this alkaloid.
In more recent years, we’ve started to learn that 7-hydroxymitragynine is every bit as important as mitragynine, and possibly even more so. According to the same researchers from the Journal of the American Osteopathic Organization, this incredible alkaloid has a “13- and 46-fold higher potency than morphine and mitragynine, respectively.” This particular alkaloid’s biological structure is also promising, say the researchers, because it has a unique ability to bind quickly with chemical receivers in the body and create fast interactions.