The nefarious ‘wellness’ drink quietly turning users into fiends

The internet is sounding the alarm on a “wellness drink” that has been growing rapidly in popularity in recent years. While the marketing for the drink makes it sound like a harmless herbal supplement to take the edge off after a long day, the lesser-known ingredients in the drinks are causing unexpected, massive problems with users.

TikTok @yourbestiemisha recently described how a boy in his early teens approached him in a gas station, asking the man to purchase some “Feel Free” for him. When @yourbestiemisha refused, the teen reportedly lunged at his wallet in desperation. When he informed the gas station clerk, the clerk reported that it was a known problem and showed him the drink in the little blue bottle behind the craze.

Kratom’s opioid-like effects are pronounced enough that researchers have tried using it to treat opioid addicts — only to discover that kratom itself can create addiction.

Botanic Tonics touts its product Feel Free as a “feel-good tonic [that] features kava root and other plant ingredients known to help with relaxation, productivity and focus.” Left unmentioned is a crucial ingredient: kratom.

K-hole

According to the Mayo Clinic, the effects of kratom — derived from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia — are largely unknown, and the substance is therefore labeled as “unsafe and ineffective.”

Furthermore, “kratom products have been found to have heavy metals, such as lead, and harmful germs, such as salmonella, in them. Salmonella poisoning can be fatal. The FDA has linked more than 35 deaths to salmonella-tainted kratom.”

Kratom also produces different effects depending on the dose. At low doses, it can act as a stimulant, which is what is often advertised in the health drinks. At higher doses, on the other hand, it acts as a depressant. Because kratom is not regulated in the U.S., the exact dosages on the labels may not be accurate.

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Kratom’s opioid-like effects are pronounced enough that researchers have tried using it to treat opioid addicts — only to discover that kratom itself can create addiction.

Easy access

Unfortunately, it was not at all difficult to find Feel Free locally in the suburbs of Dallas. Two CBD stores and two gas stations into my search, I had a bottle of Feel Free ($10.91 with tax) in my hand. The clerk at the first gas station said they used to carry it but didn’t know why they don’t have it anymore.

The CBD stores did not carry Feel Free but were vaguely aware of it. Instead, they directed me to a wide selection of kratom in other forms: Full-size drinks, tinctures, powders, and capsules were on full display — all for a premium price.

‘Liquid heroin’

On X, commentator Mike Cernovich called out the harmful effects of Feel Free and other kratom-based drinks: “Those ‘Kratom energy shots,’ often with colorful packaging marketed to children, are anything but natural. They are loaded with 7-OH, which is liquid heroin. It’s a travesty that Secretary Kennedy hasn’t had these dangerous products removed, and that the DEA hasn’t made arrests.”

The DEA’s website confirms that “kratom leaves contain two major psychoactive ingredients (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine),” which cause addiction-like symptoms in its users. The DEA says symptoms include “hallucinations, delusion, and confusion, nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, and loss of appetite. Long-term use can cause anorexia, weight loss, and insomnia.”

Road to ruin

Anecdotally, Reddit users have described financial problems stemming from dependence on the substance, which retails for around $10 per 2-ounce bottle. Others complain of side effects including dry or cracked skin, dependence, weakness, panic attacks, weight loss, extreme nausea, morning illness; and hangover-like symptoms.

Many lobby groups have pushed for tighter regulation on the processing and distribution of kratom, but the government has yet to take any decisive steps toward cracking down on this harmful substance. In the meantime, those looking for a quick pick-me-up should “feel free” to pass on this potentially venomous snake oil.