Kratom

If you’ve looked into nootropics at all, you’ve probably heard of kratom. It’s an herb, the leaf of a tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Thailand. And like pretty much everything else in the world, it’s been used as an aphrodisiac. 

But is it?

Kratom

Kratom seems to be one of those panaceas that appear in various parts of the world: it’s used for everything from sedative to stimulant, diarrhea cure to painkiller. People have reported usefulness against such diverse ills as arthritis, ADD, and fibromyalgia. Mostly, it’s used as a way to increase physical and mental energy, and a drive and focus on one’s work.

And really, it seems to do well in all that, especially when the right parts of the plant are used for the right job.

It’s the sexual effects that seem hit and miss.

Some report decreased sexual interest and sensitivity in women, and increased, ah, endurance in men (2 sides of a coin, there). Others report the opposite. What’s up with that?

Looking at as many sources as I can track down, it seems to be that addiction is the source of most of the trouble – but not reliably so. Those who use kratom recreationally in large amounts tend to require a combination of kratom and alcohol to have a proper sexual response. In more moderate usage (a couple of times per week or less) it’s a far less common issue. This one of those many items where an individual’s response will be different from the next person’s.

It appears that at a stimulant level of use (as opposed to the higher dosage which makes it a sedative), sexual activity is improved by kratom.

Aphrodisiac verdict: not precisely, but certainly useful.