Kratom has gained popularity in recent years due to its various reported effects. Many kratom users are invested in and passionate about their wellness and health. As with any supplement, it’s important to be aware of how kratom may affect the body both in the long and short term.
One important area of health that many people pay attention to is their hormones and sexual health. That begs the question of whether or not kratom may affect an individual’s hormone levels – especially testosterone. That brings us to our next question – does kratom lower testosterone?
The Role of Testosterone In the Body
Before we can dive into the potential effects of kratom on testosterone levels, it’s important to understand the hormone itself. What exactly is testosterone, and what does it do in the body?
Testosterone is typically thought of as “the male sex hormone,” although everyone has it in their bodies, just at different levels. Other things that come to mind when people think of testosterone are things like sexual desire and aggression.
But there’s so much more to this mysterious hormone than that. Testosterone is important to people’s overall health and day-to-day life. Hormones help relay messages from one part of the body to another, typically via the bloodstream.
The pituitary gland in the brain is what sends signals to the testes to produce more testosterone, at least for men. Testosterone does many important jobs in the body, including:
- Helping to develop male characteristics during puberty
- Regulating muscle size and strength
- Regulating sperm production
- Supporting bone growth and strength
- Regulating sexual desire (libido)
Again, while it’s thought of as the male hormone, everyone has testosterone in their body.
What Happens If You Have Low Testosterone Levels?
When someone’s hormone levels are off, it can throw off their entire body, the same is true for testosterone. Low testosterone levels can impact puberty in developing adolescents, but in adults, it can lead to:
- A loss of muscle mass
- Hot flashes
- Less body and facial hair
- Brittle bones that can fracture more easily
- Reduce sperm count
- Infertility
- Decreased sexual desire
- Irritability and depression
Women can also be affected by low testosterone! That typically shows up in symptoms like depression, brittle bones, and decreased libido. Low testosterone levels and the symptoms that come with it can often be treated, but you typically want to avoid that in the first place.
That all takes us back to our question of the day: does kratom lower testosterone?
Does Kratom Lower Testosterone?
Kratom is a plant found in Southeast Asia that has been widely used by indigenous people in areas like Malaysia and Thailand. Amidst concerns that kratom may affect the shape and function of sperm, researchers studied the long-term effects of daily kratom consumption on testosterone.
Overall, they found that daily kratom use did not impair testosterone levels. They actually found quite the opposite effect. In Southeast Asia, kratom leaves are often consumed as an aphrodisiac, aka to help increase libido.
Many of the speculations around kratom lowering testosterone levels are purely anecdotal. One study did find that kratom may alter sperm morphology and motility in mice. So a follow-up study wanted to see if it may have the same effects in humans.
After examining long-term (more than two years) users of kratom, they found that regular consumption of the plant did not affect male testosterone levels, as well as other reproductive hormones like FSH and LH.
Correlation Doesn’t Equal Causation
So, does kratom lower testosterone levels? As of now, there is limited research on the effects of kratom on testosterone. That being said, the studies that have been done have not found a link between kratom use and lower testosterone levels. Researchers need to conduct more long-term studies to arrive at a more conclusive answer. It’s also important to consider that the plant’s effects may vary depending on dosage, how often someone uses it, and health and lifestyle differences.
That being said, if you are experiencing symptoms like irritability, a reduced sex drive, or a decrease in muscle mass, you may want to speak to your healthcare provider, as it could be a sign of a testosterone deficiency.
Even if you consume kratom on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean that these symptoms are because of the plant. In science, correlation does not equal causation! That’s a fancy way of saying that just because two variables seem related does not mean that one caused the other.
All that to say, if you’re concerned about kratom’s effect on testosterone and sexual desire, based on current research, it’s unlikely that most kratom users would experience negative effects on their hormones – especially if you’re consuming ethically sourced, high-quality kratom.
Joe’s Botanicals: Your Source for High-Quality Kratom
One of the most important things to consider when taking kratom is the quality. As with anything you take to support your well-being, choosing the right kratom helps to minimize any potential side effects.
At Joe’s Botanicals, we make our meticulously crafted kratom capsules using state-of-the-art technology at our cutting-edge facilities. We use either White or Red Maeng Da, offering the most consistent kratom capsules available!
