Kava

Kratom, an unregulated herbal supplement, binds to opioid receptors in the brain, offering benefits like mood enhancement and pain relief, but also risks such as dependence and potential interactions with other drugs. Despite its opioid-like effects, kratom overdose deaths are rare, often involving other substances. The FDA does not recognize kratom as safe or effective, and its lack of regulation raises concerns about purity and safety.

Kratom, an unregulated herbal supplement, binds to opioid receptors, offering benefits like mood enhancement and pain relief but also risks like dependence and potential interactions with other drugs. Despite rare overdose deaths, its unregulated status raises concerns about purity and safety.

A German court lifted a 20-year prohibition on marketing kava as a pharmaceutical product, allowing it to return to the German market with severe warning labels. The decision follows years of legal battles over kava's safety and efficacy, with the court ruling that the German regulatory authority, BfArM, failed to provide sufficient evidence for an unfavorable benefit-risk ratio. Kava, a traditional South Pacific beverage, is now recognized under a Codex Alimentarius standard for use as a beverage, and the EU has a novel food notification procedure for traditional foods from third countries.