What is kratom? Risks of popular substance revealed after college students' deaths

The deaths of two University of Mississippi students have raised fresh questions about the potential health risks of kratom.

The students died Monday at separate locations on campus. During both investigations, authorities recovered packaged kratom that was purchased from a retail store, according to a Lafayette County Metro Narcotics news release shared by the Oxford Police Department.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the substance played a role in the students’ deaths.

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Kratom is a plant-based substance often marketed as a natural option for pain relief or opioid withdrawal, but experts warn that it can cause dependence, dangerous interactions and other serious health complications.

"Kratom acts as a stimulant at low doses, which could provoke heart arrhythmia," Fox News senior medical analyst, Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital. "At high doses, it acts more like an opioid, and so can suppress breathing."

Kratom is widely available, Jessica Steinman, chief clinical officer at No Matter What Recovery in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital.

"We are starting to see it in storefronts, at your local gas stations, smoke shops and health food stores, where it's being sold as an energy booster," she said. "People are starting to buy it over the counter and use it incorrectly, and use mass amounts of it."

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"It's affecting the opioid receptors in people's brains," she went on. "It can cause them to be overly sedated, it can slow down their breathing and general function of their lungs."

Kratom can also become highly addictive, Steinman warned.

Traditional kratom products generally contain lower levels of active compounds, while newer 7-OH products are often concentrated or enhanced to produce stronger, more stimulating effects, she noted.

7-OH products contain 7-hydroxymitragynine, a potent opioid-related compound found in kratom.

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Although kratom laws vary by state and locality, Steinman said regulators are increasingly focused on the concentrated 7-OH products and synthetic kratom-related compounds, rather than traditional botanical kratom containing only trace amounts of 7-OH.

As to why there has been an uptick in kratom use among young people, Steinman said she believes many of them are learning about it from social media or through their friends.

College students may be using the substance for two reasons, she said.

"One reason would be, it is a stimulant," Steinman noted. "They may have pressures to stay awake, to study, get good grades … they may want to be more energized."

People may also be using it due to its opioid-like effects, the expert said.

"It does give someone that sedating high, that kind of numbing out from feeling anything very difficult, not wanting to have to deal with stress or anxiety."

It becomes more dangerous when people combine it with multiple substances, like alcohol, marijuana or benzodiazepines. "That's when it can become lethal," Steinman warned.

People who use kratom and begin breathing slowly or shallowly, or who become excessively drowsy or difficult to awaken, may be experiencing serious sedation that can interfere with breathing, Steinman said. In those cases, prompt medical care is important.

"Another issue that isn't really talked about often is when people might possibly get addicted to kratom," she cautioned.

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Reducing or abruptly stopping kratom after regular use can trigger withdrawal, and in some cases may lead to seizures, according to the expert. Anyone experiencing a seizure should seek emergency medical care.

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Steinman also responded to those who might claim that kratom is safe due to the fact that it’s a natural substance.

"Just because something's from the earth doesn't make it healthy — people can get addicted and compulsive with lots of things," she said.

The expert pointed out that there are no addictive components to marijuana, but it becomes addictive – "not necessarily addictive to the brain, but to the feeling that it gives you."

"And that's the same situation with kratom – people get addicted to that feeling. But with kratom, it's actually affecting the opioid receptors in the brain."

Dallas Vasquez, CEO and co-founder of Mitra9 Brands, a Florida-based company that manufactures and sells beverages and products containing kratom (mitragynine) and kava, emphasized the difference between botanical kratom products containing trace levels of 7-OH and products formulated with added, enhanced, highly concentrated or synthesized 7-OH.

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"The FDA has specifically identified added or enhanced 7-OH products as a particular concern, and the DEA has taken or proposed separate scheduling actions involving elevated 7-OH and related substances," he told Fox News Digital.

Vasquez said Mitra9’s products are made with botanical kratom extract derived from the natural leaf, and not with isolated or synthetic 7-OH.

The products are labeled for adults 21 and older and include precautionary statements, he noted.

The label advises consumers not to exceed the recommended serving, avoid use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, consult a physician before use if taking medications or managing a medical condition, avoid combining the product with alcohol or other substances, be aware that it may be habit-forming, and keep it out of the reach of children.

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"We take every report of harm seriously, and we don't dismiss those concerns," Vasquez said, adding that the kratom market is "not uniform."

"Products range from standardized, tested beverages to concentrated and synthetic 7-OH products that federal regulators are now moving to schedule," he said. "We support that action and stronger national standards for testing, labeling, potency limits and age restrictions."

"Consumers deserve to know exactly what is in what they buy, and bad actors should be removed from the market."