Well, kava lovers, I think we've got a contender for the Watchdog list.
Summary: "Wellness Tonic" shot sold by Botanic Tonics as "A Euphoric Drink made with Kava". It is an extract shot made with both kava extract and K@ (Mitragyna speciosa) extract. Product page mentions the mixture with K@ a total of one time. Actual contents are printed on the bottle.
Manufacturer: Botanictonics.com
Product: Feel Free Wellness Tonic
Website Registered: 03/24/2020
Product Page: https://botanictonics.com/products/feel-free-wellness-tonic
Youtube Description:
Description: This is a product calling itself a "wellness tonic" which contains both kava, and K@ with absolutely no mention of K@ on thier product advertising and one instance buried deep in their "FAQ" page. The only time you're given upfront information that this product contains Mitragyna speciosa is on the bottle itself after purchase, as per the above youtube video.
My problem with it: This type of product marketing is absolutely detrimental to the sustainable future of kava. Mixing it with addictive adulterants with ONE hidden indication on thier website is at best dishonest, and in reality it's a lie attempting to pick up customers at the expense of ignorance. Personally it's a slap in the face. Kava is not addictive, and not harmful. They're making a product that violates both of these positive attributes that kava embodies.
K@: The FDA classified adulterant, Mitragyna speciosa, or "K@", is an addictive opioid herb with no relation to kava. It is not classified as a dietary supplement in any fashion. Some people suffering from opioid misuse disorder have begun using this herb to reduce withdrawal symptoms related to prescription pain relievers and street opioids. Others have erroneously sought this herb to ease anxiety and depression. For personal accounts of addiction and habituation see https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingkratom/. Many accounts of medication interactions with this drug exist in literature. K@ has an extensive ability to alter the pharmacokinetic profiles of many pharmaceutical drugs.
Conclusion: I say all of this to underscore that this combination isn't just a "natural feel good shot". It could lead to serious interactions with other medications that kava drinkers routinely take, as well as exposing the consumer to additional risks of addiction and habituation. This product takes the safety profile and long traditional history of kava, and flushes it down the toilet with one dishonest swoop.
Summary: "Wellness Tonic" shot sold by Botanic Tonics as "A Euphoric Drink made with Kava". It is an extract shot made with both kava extract and K@ (Mitragyna speciosa) extract. Product page mentions the mixture with K@ a total of one time. Actual contents are printed on the bottle.
Manufacturer: Botanictonics.com
Product: Feel Free Wellness Tonic
Website Registered: 03/24/2020
IF YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN HARMED BY THIS PRODUCT PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW, AND CLICK "CONSUMER PATIENT" TO FILL OUT A REPORT TO THE FDA.
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Product Page: https://botanictonics.com/products/feel-free-wellness-tonic
Youtube Description:
Sales Text:A Euphoric Drink Made with Kava
Our feel good wellness tonic is a kava drink made with kava kava and other ancient plants from the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, where they’ve been used socially and in wellness for centuries.
An extremely euphoric drink that is also non-alcoholic, Feel Free Wellness Tonic is known to provide a ton of benefits highlighted below.
Benefits of Our Non-Alcoholic Kava Drink
feel free is a Botanic Tonics proprietary blend of euphoric bliss!
- Enjoy as a kava based herbal tonic during the day
- Enjoy as a non-alcoholic drink substitute to help with anxiety
- Enjoy as a euphoric drink when hanging out with friends
Description: This is a product calling itself a "wellness tonic" which contains both kava, and K@ with absolutely no mention of K@ on thier product advertising and one instance buried deep in their "FAQ" page. The only time you're given upfront information that this product contains Mitragyna speciosa is on the bottle itself after purchase, as per the above youtube video.
My problem with it: This type of product marketing is absolutely detrimental to the sustainable future of kava. Mixing it with addictive adulterants with ONE hidden indication on thier website is at best dishonest, and in reality it's a lie attempting to pick up customers at the expense of ignorance. Personally it's a slap in the face. Kava is not addictive, and not harmful. They're making a product that violates both of these positive attributes that kava embodies.
K@: The FDA classified adulterant, Mitragyna speciosa, or "K@", is an addictive opioid herb with no relation to kava. It is not classified as a dietary supplement in any fashion. Some people suffering from opioid misuse disorder have begun using this herb to reduce withdrawal symptoms related to prescription pain relievers and street opioids. Others have erroneously sought this herb to ease anxiety and depression. For personal accounts of addiction and habituation see https://www.reddit.com/r/quittingkratom/. Many accounts of medication interactions with this drug exist in literature. K@ has an extensive ability to alter the pharmacokinetic profiles of many pharmaceutical drugs.
Conclusion: I say all of this to underscore that this combination isn't just a "natural feel good shot". It could lead to serious interactions with other medications that kava drinkers routinely take, as well as exposing the consumer to additional risks of addiction and habituation. This product takes the safety profile and long traditional history of kava, and flushes it down the toilet with one dishonest swoop.
K@ Information Sources:
Abdullah, Haq, and Lamfers. 2019. “Cardiac Arrest in a Young Healthy Male Patient Secondary to K@ Ingestion: Is This’ Legal High'substance More Dangerous than Initially Thought?” BMJ Case Reports CP. https://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/7/e229778.abstract.
Castillo, Austin, J. Drew Payne, and Kenneth Nugent. 2017. “Posterior Reversible Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome after K@ Ingestion.” Proceedings 30 (3): 355–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2017.11929647.
Cutlip, Hunter A., Ella Bushman, Lisa Thottumari, Raja Mogallapu, and Michael Ang-Rabanes. 2021. “A Case Report of K@-Induced Psychosis.” Cureus 13 (6): e16073. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.16073.
Fernandes, Christopher T., Umair Iqbal, Sean P. Tighe, and Aijaz Ahmed. 2019. “K@-Induced Cholestatic Liver Injury and Its Conservative Management.” Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports 7 (January): 2324709619836138. https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709619836138.
Gandhi, Darshan, Kriti Ahuja, Alexis Quade, Kenneth P. Batts, and Love Patel. 2020. “K@ Induced Severe Cholestatic Liver Injury Histologically Mimicking Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Case Report.” World Journal of Hepatology 12 (10): 863–69. https://doi.org/10.4254/wjh.v12.i10.863.
Hofmeister, M. 2022. “K@ Consumption Can Be Addictive and Have Adverse Health Effects.” Novelty in Clinical Medicine. https://www.nclinmed.com/article_154679.html.
Kerrigan, Sarah, and Stephanie Basiliere. 2022. “K@: A Systematic Review of Toxicological Issues.” WIREs Forensic Science 4 (1). https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.1420.
Khan, Muhammad Zarrar, Mohannad Abou Saleh, Motasem Alkhayyat, Daniel E. Roberts, and Christina C. Lindenmeyer. 2021. “Multiorgan Dysfunction Related to K@ Ingestion.” ACG Case Reports Journal 8 (8): e00647. https://doi.org/10.14309/crj.0000000000000647.
LeSaint, Kathy T., Shan Yin, Abhisheak Sharma, Bonnie A. Avery, Christopher R. McCurdy, and Javier C. Waksman. 2022. “Acute Renal Insufficiency Associated With Consumption of Hydrocodone- and Morphine-Adulterated K@ (Mitragyna Speciosa).” The Journal of Emergency Medicine, August. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.02.004.
O’Malley, Patricia Anne. 2018. “Think K@ Is a Safe Opioid Substitute? Think Again!: History, Evidence, and Possible Future for Mitragyna Speciosa.” Clinical Nurse Specialist CNS 32 (5): 227–30. https://doi.org/10.1097/NUR.0000000000000392.
Prozialeck, Walter, Alexandra Fowler, and Joshua Edwards. 2022. “Public Health Implications and Possible Sources of Lead (Pb) as a Contaminant of Poorly Regulated K@ Products in the United States.” Toxics 10 (7). https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10070398.
Sekar, Arjun, Shrey Velani, Samantha Katzman, Meghan O’Donnell, and Kyle S. Conway. 2022. “Suspected Fanconi Syndrome from Cadmium Toxicity Exacerbated by Heavy K@ Use. A Rare Occurrence.” Clinical Toxicology 60 (7): 888–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2022.2046774.
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