Final results of tests performed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 30 kratom products confirm the presence of heavy metals, including lead and nickel, at concentrations not considered safe for human consumption, the FDA said Wednesday.
The FDA first warned of “disturbingly” high levels of heavy metals, including lead and nickel, last November, as reported by Medscape Medical News.
The FDA has posted a list of the kratom products and concentrations of heavy metals found in them on its website.
Based on reported patterns of kratom use, heavy kratom users may be exposed to levels of lead and nickel many times greater than the safe daily exposure, the FDA warns in a statement.
Based on these test results, the typical long-term kratom user could potentially develop heavy metal poisoning, which could include nervous system or kidney damage, anemia, high blood pressure, and increased risk of certain cancers, the agency adds.
Read more at Medscape.