SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1587528
The effects of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) on metabolic syndrome-related parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
Ajaree Rayanakorn1,2*
Pattarachon Apisitwittaya2
Shaun Lee3
Kantirat Yaja2
Ratchanon Inpan1,2Mingkwan Na Takuathung1,2
Nut Koonrungsesomboon1,2- 1Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 2Clinical Research Center for Food and Herbal Product Trials and Development (CR-FAH), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 3School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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Background: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical plant with opioid-like properties used for its metabolic altering effects, but data on the metabolic effects are lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to examine the effects of kratom use on parameters related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) in humans.Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to 6 September 2024 to identify eligible analytical studies examining the association between kratom consumption and metabolic effects. The effect estimates were summarized as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and pooled using random-effects models.Results: Five cross-sectional studies were included. The meta-analysis involving 1,458 adults observed significantly lower levels of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (MD -0.21 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.02), triglyceride (MD -0.17 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.25, -0.09), while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels increased (MD 0.07 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11). Body mass index was also lower in adults using kratom when compared to the control group (MD -1.52 kg/m 2 ; 95% CI: -2.81, -0.23).Kratom use in the adult population was associated with lower LDL-c, TG, BMI, and higher HDL-c levels. However, the total cholesterol and blood sugar lowering effects were not statistically significant. The findings suggest that kratom use may have a protective effect against certain metabolic risk factors. Further investigations particularly longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.
Keywords: Kratom, mitragynine, metabolic syndrome, Cholesterol, triglyceride, Meta-analysis
Received: 05 Mar 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rayanakorn, Apisitwittaya, Lee, Yaja, Inpan, Na Takuathung and Koonrungsesomboon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ajaree Rayanakorn, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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