Could Kratom Use Be Causing Acne?

There has been a lot of debate amongst Kratom users as to whether or not Kratom causes acne. Some of these users suggest after taking high doses of Kratom for an extended period, they started experiencing acne. On the other hand, others said they have been taking kratom for years without facing any acne or skin issues.

In this detailed article, you will learn about the potential correlations between acne and Kratom. Including what causes acne and whether or not there could be a constituent(s) in Kratom that may trigger acne.

To begin with, let’s briefly examine the major causes of acne. This is the first step in answering the questions surrounding kratom and acne.

What Are the Causes of Acne?

The reason people experience acne is because the pores (tiny holes) on the skin become clogged. Primarily, there are four major factors that could lead to acne:

• Excess oil production: Oil can become trapped in pores, leading to acne
• Bacteria: Your body’s immune system can react when bacteria become trapped in your skin, leading to acne.
• Inflammation: When your immune system recognizes harmful or foreign stimuli, it tries to remove them. After this happens, the healing process begins, which causes inflammation that sometimes results in acne.
• Dead Skin Cells: When the hair follicles on your skin are clogged by dead skin cells

These four causes of acne can be triggered by hormonal changes, stress, taking certain substances, or diet.

Since diet and hormonal changes are mentioned as part of the triggers of acne, what kind of food could cause acne? Foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and sugars are the biggest cause of acne, based on dietary causes.

Exploring Kratom’s Potential Antimicrobial Properties

Extracted kratom contains a high ratio of phenolics and flavonoids, which is key to Kratom’s antimicrobial properties.

Kratom has many natural components, including alkaloids like mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitraginine, speciogynine, 17-desmethyldihydro-mitragynine, 5-desmethylmitragynine, paynantheine, and speciolliatine. The leaves of Kratom also contain metabolites such as saponins, flavonoids, secoiriods, triterpenoids, monoterpenes, and polyphenolic compounds. These aforementioned metabolites give Kratom its potential antibacterial properties.

With these potential antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, it could potentially suggest that taking Kratom might possibly kill or reduce harmful bacteria from growing as easily.

Now, let’s talk about the nutritional content of Kratom. Yes, Kratom contains calories. However, a 2-gram dose of Kratom contains only about 1.5 grams of carbohydrates. However, most of these carbohydrates come from fiber.

Therefore, since the human body requires between 225 and 325 grams of carbs per day, we can say that Kratom does not contain any significant amount to trigger acne via diet. Moreover, Kratom is a negligible source of any nutritional value that provides any significance.

Finally, even though Kratom may impact certain hormones like testosterone, there is no proof or reliable scientific evidence on this subject matter to suggest that this may trigger acne.

Drawing Correlations Between Kratom and Acne Causes

Having looked at the root causes of acne and the composition of Kratom, it is now easy to draw rational inference:

• A diet rich in refined carbohydrates and sugars is one factor that could trigger acne. However, Kratom contains an insignificant amount of carbohydrates or sugar, and therefore, the carbohydrate content in Kratom is likely not related to acne.
• Another major cause of acne is the production of excess oil (sebum). Since Kratom contains a negligible amount of fat, it is likely not responsible for the production of excess oils on the skin.
• There is a lack of reliable scientific proof that Kratom can cause hormonal changes in humans. While this could be possible, it is unlikely to be significant; however, it could be a potential cause if people are using high doses of kratom for an extended period of time.
• Bacterial and inflammation is another major cause of acne on the face or other parts of the body. However, kratom has potential antibacterial properties, which could technically help with this cause.

Final Thoughts of Kratom and Acne

Judging from the chemical composition and properties of Kratom, there is no study that claims that Kratom is a cause of acne. Instead, it may, in fact, help the skin by drawing conclusions based on its antimicrobial properties.

Kratom might influence hormones, which could potentially influence acne. However, scientific research surrounding this area is lacking.

Another thing you should be mindful of is the dosage of Kratom you take. Most of the people who noticed acne after taking Kratom over a period attested to taking high doses. The higher the dosage, the more likely one might experience ance.

Kratom has varying effects on users. If you are taking high doses of Kratom and you are noticing pimples on your body, you should reduce the dose or discontinue its use to see if the problem gets resolved in order to rule out if Kratom is the culprit.

CONTENT DISCLAIMER: The content on this page is strictly for entertainment purposes only. The content below has not been medically reviewed and is not intended to offer advice for use or intended use. For more information about kratom and its potential dangers, please visit the fda.gov site.