Health: Dangerous plant extract: Federal Office warns against Kratom
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|Herbal remedies are gentle, harmless, and helpful? Not so. The sale of kratom is unregulated, and the risks are incalculable. Several deaths have already occurred.
The slender plant, which can grow up to 25 meters tall, is native to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. An extract from the leaves of the plant, known as the kratom tree or red sentol tree, is used by parts of the local population to relieve pain. In small doses, the substance is also used as a stimulant and stimulant. But what sounds like gentle herbal medicine with an exotic touch can apparently be life-threatening: At the beginning of July, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) warned against the use of the supposedly medicinal plant : "There have been reports of deaths in connection with kratom; the exact causes and connections are still being scientifically investigated," the authority stated.
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