2025-07-21
2 小时 43 分钟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 discussed 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.
And unfortunately that has confused and in many cases harmed consumers.
So today you'll learn about kratom's effects at different doses and when it's sourced in different ways, you'll learn about how it can be a stimulant, how it can increase focus, how it can be a painkiller, how it can increase euphoria, but also its strong potential for addiction.
You'll also learn what is known about kratom in terms of its ability to help people transition off traditional opioid drugs.
It has been shown to be effective for that.
However, we are also going to explain the potential harms of kratom in particular in young people whose brains are still developing and in people that don't have a prior opioid addiction.
Our discussion about kratom also opens up a broader discussion about other plant alkaloids that have medicinal properties, including those found in things like cocoa and 100% chocolate.
And we discussed the incredible history of soft drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7-Up and Dr. Pepper, which believe it or not, were originally developed as pharmacologic tools before becoming the ultra popular beverages that we're familiar with today.
So I realize many people have heard about kratom, but also many of you perhaps have not.
What everyone should know, however, is that kratom products They're pretty much everywhere now.
You can find them in supermarkets, convenience stores, online, and they're sold under the pretense of having very specific effects related to energy, pain management, or mood.
But by the end of today's episode, you'll have a thorough understanding of how this plant compound actually works.