Health Effects & Risks of Kratom, Opioids & Other Natural Occurring Medicines | Dr. Chris McCurdy
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Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Chris McCurdy. Dr.
Chris McCurdy is a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida. where he directs research on natural products and their pharmacologic effects. Most recently the plant-derived compound Kratom, which is readily sold in the US and around the world and is now used by tens of millions of people daily, and those numbers are increasing fast. Dr. McCurdy's research focuses on understanding how kratom interacts with our nervous system and affects our physiology and behavior.
He also studies its potential for addiction. During today's episode we discuss the complex effects of Kratom and its relationship to the opioid system. Dr. McCurdy explains how Kratom's active compounds work in the brain, why it shares certain similarities to opioid drugs, and critically how kratom products available in the US and elsewhere are largely derivatives and isolates of the kratom leaf. which is very different in terms of the effects it produces when compared to the traditional leaf products.
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