Health Effects & Risks of Kratom, Opioids & Other Natural Occurring Medicines | Dr. Chris McCurdy

Huberman Lab

Scicomm Media

Science, Health & Fitness, Life Sciences

4.8 • 26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 164 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My guest is Dr. Chris McCurdy, PhD, FAAPS, professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida and a world expert on the pharmacology of kratom and other plant-derived medicinal compounds. We discuss kratom’s wide-ranging effects, including its use for boosting energy, enhancing mood, managing pain and as a potential opioid substitute, while also explaining its critical safety concerns and addictive potential, especially for kratom-derived/isolate products. We also discuss plant-based compounds more generally for their potential benefits and risks. Dr. McCurdy offers a balanced perspective on kratom and other plant-based and naturally occurring medicinal compounds, highlighting and contrasting their promise for human health with potential serious risks. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman David Protein: https://davidprotein.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Chris McCurdy 00:02:51 Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), Origin, Effects, Low vs High Doses 00:07:19 Sponsors: David Protein & Eight Sleep 00:10:07 Kratom, Traditional Use vs Commercial Kratom Products, Absorption 00:17:00 Kratom Products, Serving Size, Kids; Semi-Synthetics; Tool: Understand Kratom Product Labels 00:23:16 Kratom Products & Various Desired Effects; Physical Dependence 00:32:53 Different Kratom Usage Patterns, Opioid Dependence 00:36:59 Alkaloid Compounds, Nitrogen, Nicotine; Animals & Self-Experimentation 00:47:47 Sponsors: AG1 & ROKA 00:51:05 Medicine Development, Disconnection from Nature, Product Concentrations 00:59:00 Alkaloids & Natural Products, Opium Poppy, Coca Leaf, Tool: Kratom Leaf vs Extracts (Kratom-Derived/Kratom Isolates) 01:09:06 Is It Safe for Kids to Consume Kratom Products? 01:12:19 Kratom, Energy, Mood & Pain Management, Dose; Caffeine 01:16:56 Respiratory Depression & Kratom Products 01:20:16 Sponsor: Function 01:22:04 Kratom Leaf vs Derivatives, FDA Regulations, Usage Guidelines 01:26:59 Kratom, Alcohol Consumption, Respiratory Failure? 01:29:09 Kratom Alkaloids, Mood & Stimulant Effects, Multiple Pathways for Pain Relief 01:38:17 Plant Alkaloids & Chemical Defense, Kratom & Antifungal Alkaloids; Geckos 01:44:35 White, Red & Brown Vein Kratom, Leaf Processing; Terpenes 01:51:08 Kratom as an Anti-Depressant?; Discontinuing Kratom Use, Opioid Use 01:58:03 Kratom, Drug Interactions & Seizure, Opioids 02:01:51 Cacao Beans, Chocolate 02:09:34 Coca-Cola, Coca Plant & Cocaine, History of Soft Drinks 02:19:49 Career Journey, Pharmacy, Chemistry & Education, Lobelia 02:28:44 Nicotine; Natural Products & Career Journey, Salvia divinorum, Kratom 02:40:22 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.
0:08.8	I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.
0:15.2	My guest today is Dr. Chris McCurdy.
0:17.7	Dr. Chris McCurdy is a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida,
0:21.6	where he directs research on natural products and the pharmacologic effects.
0:25.6	Most recently, the plant-derived compound, Cratum, which is readily sold in the U.S. and around the world,
0:30.6	and is now used by tens of millions of people daily, and those numbers are increasing fast.
0:35.6	Dr. McCurdy's research focuses on understanding
0:37.7	how Cratum interacts with our nervous system
0:39.9	and affects our physiology and behavior.
0:42.3	He also studies its potential for addiction.
0:44.7	During today's episode, we discussed
0:46.1	the complex effects of Cratum
0:47.8	and its relationship to the opioid system.
0:50.3	Dr. McCurdy explains how Cratum's active compounds
0:52.5	work in the brain, why it shares certain similarities to opioid drugs, and explains how Kratum's active compounds work in the brain, why it shares certain
0:54.5	similarities to opioid drugs, and critically how Kratum products available in the U.S.
0:59.4	and elsewhere are largely derivatives and isolates of the Kratum leaf, which is very different
1:04.6	in terms of the effects it produces when compared to the traditional leaf products.
1:08.8	And unfortunately, that is confused and in many cases harmed consumers.
1:13.0	So today, you'll learn about Kratum's effects at different doses and when it's sourced in
1:16.7	different ways.
	...

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