A trendy “plant tonic” that promises focus and relaxation is quietly becoming a public health concern. Walk into a gas station or vape shop in many parts of the United States and you’ll see them lined up near the counter little blue bottles with the words Feel Free printed on the label. Marketed as a natural way to boost mood, productivity, and focus, the two-ounce shots look as harmless as kombucha or an energy drink. But behind their wellness branding lies an ingredient that doctors, regulators, and recovering users say can wreak havoc: kratom.

What began as a boutique herbal tonic has grown into a nationwide phenomenon. And for some people, that harmless-looking bottle has led to cycles of dependency, debt, and even rehab.

Feel Free is made by Botanic Tonics, a Texas-based company that launched the product in 2020. Its formula blends two herbal ingredients: kava root, traditionally used in Pacific Island cultures for relaxation, and kratom, a Southeast Asian plant with stimulant and opioid-like properties.

At first glance, it seems to fit right into America’s booming functional beverage market. The company advertises it as a caffeine-free energy boost and stress reliever “plant ingredients for productivity and focus.” It’s now sold in more than 24,000 convenience stores, smoke shops, and health food outlets across the country. Priced between $8 and $13 a bottle, the drink has become popular among students, young professionals, and even parents looking for a “natural” alternative to alcohol or coffee.

But what the label doesn’t highlight is the risk of dependence. Feel Free comes with a serving suggestion of one ounce, half a bottle, and a warning that it “may be habit-forming.”

What Are Kratom's Effects?

Kratom, scientifically known as Mitragyna speciosa, has been used in Southeast Asia for centuries. Laborers chewed its leaves for energy, while traditional healers brewed it as a tea for pain or diarrhea.

In the US, kratom began appearing in the late 1990s and quickly developed a following among people looking for alternatives to opioids or antidepressants. Today, nearly 2 million Americans are estimated to use kratom in some form — powders, capsules, extracts, or beverages like Feel Free.

The problem lies in how kratom interacts with the brain. Its alkaloids, primarily mitragynine, bind to the same receptors as opioids. At low doses, kratom can act like a stimulant. At higher doses, it produces sedative and euphoric effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified it as an opioid, citing risks of dependence, withdrawal, liver damage, and — in rare cases — overdose.

Despite these warnings, kratom remains unregulated at the federal level. Only a handful of states, including Alabama, Indiana, and Rhode Island, have banned it outright. In much of the country, it can be purchased legally by anyone, including minors, from gas stations and corner shops.

Why Has Social Media Sparks Alarm on Feel Free Drink?

Awareness of Feel Free’s addictive potential gained traction on TikTok, where users shared cautionary tales of dependency. In one viral video, Texas resident Misha Brown recounted being approached by a teenager who tried to convince him to buy Feel Free from a Circle K store. When he refused, the boy attempted to grab his wallet.

Inside the store, Brown said the attendant explained that customers came in “six times a day” for the product. The video, which garnered more than 23 million views, ignited a wave of comments from young people describing their own struggles with Feel Free — from financial strain to full-blown withdrawal symptoms.

For many, what started as an occasional pick-me-up quickly escalated into a daily habit.

Feel Free: Addiction and Health Risks

Addiction medicine specialists are now sounding the alarm. Dr. Robert Levy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, has treated numerous patients for kratom dependency. Withdrawal symptoms can mirror those of opioids: nausea, sweating, insomnia, irritability, and severe cravings.

The risk is compounded by Feel Free’s formula. While kratom stimulates, kava depresses the nervous system. Each herb acts on different receptors in the brain, kava on the same ones as benzodiazepines like Xanax, and kratom on opioid receptors. Combined, they can create an overstimulating and destabilizing effect that heightens the likelihood of dependence.

Some users report drinking multiple bottles a day, far exceeding the recommended limit. The cost alone can lead to financial stress, while abrupt attempts to quit often result in withdrawal that drives people back to the drink.

Regulation and Legal Gray Areas

The FDA has repeatedly warned against kratom use, but it remains stuck in regulatory limbo. In 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposed classifying kratom’s compounds as Schedule I drugs, alongside heroin and LSD, but backed down after intense lobbying from advocacy groups.

More recently, the FDA recommended tighter control of products containing 7-OH, a synthetic kratom derivative with even higher abuse potential. But Feel Free contains natural kratom leaf extract, which falls outside those recommendations.

Meanwhile, Botanic Tonics has faced lawsuits over claims that its marketing misled customers about potential risks. In 2024, the company agreed to a class-action settlement, though it did not admit wrongdoing. It has since updated labels to emphasize warnings — but insists the drink is safe when used as directed.

Why Is Kratom-Based Drinks Growing Public Health Debate?

The popularity of Feel Free highlights a larger issue: the booming U.S. market for “natural” supplements that skirt the edges of regulation. Unlike prescription medications, products like kratom tonics are not required to undergo rigorous clinical trials or FDA approval before hitting shelves.

That leaves consumers with little reliable information about safety, dosage, or long-term effects. And when a product is packaged like an energy shot, sold next to candy and soda, and advertised as a wellness aid, it’s easy for people — especially young ones — to underestimate its risks.

Should Drinks Feel Free With Kratom Be Better Regulated?

Experts say more research is urgently needed. While some studies suggest kratom may have therapeutic potential for pain management or opioid withdrawal, the risks of dependence and misuse cannot be ignored.

For now, consumers are largely left to navigate the market on their own. Health officials advise those struggling with Feel Free or other kratom products to seek professional help, either through their primary care provider or addiction treatment programs.

Parents are encouraged to talk openly with their children about kratom and similar substances. Signs of use may include mood swings, social withdrawal, digestive issues, or unexplained financial strain.

Feel Free was launched as a lifestyle drink for relaxation and focus, but its addictive potential has become impossible to ignore. It sits at the intersection of America’s appetite for quick fixes, the booming supplement industry, and gaps in regulation.

What looks like a harmless blue bottle can, for some, become the start of a struggle with dependence. Until stronger oversight and clearer science emerge, consumers are left with a difficult truth: “natural” does not always mean safe.

Bruce Willis Health Update: At the preview of ABC's special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Bruce Willis' wife Emma opened up about her husband's battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), saying his “brain is failing him” and his “language is going.” Despite the heartbreaking progression of the disease, she says their family has found new ways of communicating and cherishes the rare moments when his true personality shines through.

The 70-year-old “Die Hard” and “Sixth Sense” star was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) more than three years ago. In 2023, his family revealed the condition, which affects behavior and language, to the public.

Bruce Willis' Brain Is Failing Him

Heming Willis described how the disease has reshaped their lives. “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall,” she said. “It’s just his brain that is failing him.”

When asked if Willis still recognizes her, Heming Willis said she believes a connection is still there. “I feel he does. When we are with him, he lights up. He’s holding our hands, we’re kissing him, we’re hugging him. He is reciprocating. And that’s all I need. I don’t need him to know that I am his wife, or when we got married. I just want to feel that connection with him, and I do.”

Finding new ways to communicate

FTD is a lesser-known type of dementia that causes difficulties with language and behavior. According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, more than 30,000 people in the country live with the condition, though the actual number may be higher.

For Willis’ family, adapting has been key. “The language is going, and we’ve learned to adapt,” Heming Willis explained. “We have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.”

Despite the challenges, she said her husband still shows glimpses of his old self. “Not days, but we get moments,” she shared. “It’s his laugh, right? He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and I just get transported. As quickly as those moments appear, they go. It’s hard, but I’m grateful my husband is still very much here.”

Read: Bruce Willis Health Update: A Diagnostic Timeline From Aphasia To Dementia

The struggles of caregiving

Heming Willis admitted that, in the beginning, she believed she had to manage the caregiving alone. That decision led to sleepless nights, social withdrawal, and eventually her own struggle with depression.

Looking back, she said she waited too long to seek help. It was only when one of Willis’ daughters, Scout, expressed worry about her rather than her father, that she realized she needed support. Professional caregivers were eventually brought in, and the family relocated to a quieter, safer home better suited to Willis’ needs.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Heming Willis said, “but I knew Bruce would want our daughters to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his.”

Advocating for other families

The model and entrepreneur has turned her personal experience into advocacy for other caregivers. She has written a book, Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, which she hopes will serve as a guide for families facing similar circumstances.

Her openness has been praised by dementia organizations. Samantha Benham-Hermetz, executive director of Alzheimer’s Research UK, called her decision to speak out “a powerful act of courage” and said her words “will resonate with so many people affected by dementia.”

“Personal stories like Emma and Bruce’s are vital,” Benham-Hermetz added. “They raise awareness, foster understanding, and highlight the urgent need for research.”

Raising awareness about FTD

FTD is one of the most common types of dementia among people under 60. It often starts subtly, appearing as forgetfulness, missing lines at work, or withdrawing from activities. Heming Willis recalled noticing such changes in her husband years before his diagnosis, describing them as “whispers” of what was to come.

She hopes speaking out will bring more visibility to the disease and encourage families to seek help early. “That is the whole motivation for me to raise awareness, because we want families to be able to be diagnosed earlier, when they can participate in clinical trials,” she said.

Holding on to connection

Through it all, Heming Willis says she tries to stay grounded in the present. Asked what she would most like to share with her husband if she could have a full conversation again, she answered simply: “Just how he’s doing. If he’s okay. If he feels okay. If there’s anything we could do to support him better. I would really love to know that.”

Most of us just grab ibuprofen for a headache or paracetamol for a fever without giving it a second thought. Painkillers like these are pantry staples, safe enough to purchase over the counter and reliable for generations but emerging research indicates they could be unwittingly driving one of the world's most urgent health challenges: antibiotic resistance.

A ground-breaking University of South Australia study has discovered that paracetamol and ibuprofen not only lead to bacterial resistance by themselves but can enhance it when combined especially when taken with antibiotics. That discovery overturns long-established beliefs about resistance formation and provokes question marks over how commonly used medicines are rewriting the rules for how bacteria adapt.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated antimicrobial resistance as one of the greatest threats to health, food security, and development worldwide. In 2019, bacterial resistance was a direct cause of 1.27 million deaths across the globe. These "superbugs" occur when bacteria evolve in such manners that antibiotics are no longer useful, transforming once-treatable infections into potentially lethal ones.

The finger of blame has long been pointed at the overuse and misuse of antibiotics prescribing them when they are not necessary, not finishing a course, or using them as pesticides. But now this new study puts a sinister spin on things, even non-antibiotic drugs could be contributing to helping bacteria get one over on advanced medicine.

The South Australia researchers studied how ubiquitous non-antibiotic drugs interact with ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic used to treat infections of the gut, urinary tract, and skin. The researchers emphasized Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium that often results in these infections.

When E. coli was given ciprofloxacin alone, mutations happened as anticipated. But when ciprofloxacin was given in combination with ibuprofen and paracetamol, mutations went through the roof. The bacteria not only developed resistance against ciprofloxacin but also demonstrated resistance against several other antibiotics belonging to various categories.

Both paracetamol and ibuprofen seemed to trigger bacterial defense mechanisms that flush out antibiotics, rendering them much less potent. In effect, the medications were preparing bacteria to be resistant to treatment.

Polypharmacy and the Aged Care Connection

One of the most disturbing implications of the results is for vulnerable populations, particularly for older adults in long-term care. Residents in aged care homes are often prescribed several medications painkillers, blood pressure medications, sleep medication, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and others. This "polypharmacy" presents the ideal condition for gut bacteria to be exposed to drug combinations that fuel resistance.

As lead researcher for the study, Associate Professor Rietie Venter said, "Antibiotics have been used for decades to treat infectious illnesses, yet overuse and misuse across the globe have fueled a worldwide increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This research indicates that the issue is greater and more profound than antibiotics alone."

What Are The Other Medications Under Scrutiny?

The research did not end at paracetamol and ibuprofen. Scientists also experimented on nine widely prescribed drugs, such as diclofenac for arthritis, furosemide for blood pressure, metformin for diabetes, atorvastatin for cholesterol, tramadol for pain after surgery, temazepam for insomnia, and pseudoephedrine for nasal congestion.

While not every drug caused the same degree of alarm, the findings added to a larger message: antibiotic resistance is no longer just an issue of antibiotics alone. Common medications the ones you have in bathroom cabinets and bedside tables around the globe could be part of the solution to resistance.

It's easy to think of antibiotic resistance as an intangible problem something that happens in hospitals or somewhere far away in the world. But it's already impacting lives around the world. Resistant bacteria complicate simple infections, increase healthcare costs, and pose a risk of complications and death.

If over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and paracetamol are fueling resistance, then millions of individuals unknowingly might be part of the issue simply by controlling a fever or arthritis. This is not to say these drugs are bad or should be stopped they work and are vital for many sicknesses. But it does indicate that we require a better understanding of how they work with antibiotics and bacteria.

The University of South Australia group is appealing for further research on how various combinations of drugs affect resistance, especially in long-term drug regimen populations. Such information could assist prescribing clinicians in making better-informed choices regarding prescribing and managing medications.

GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy have been under the spotlight as breakthrough drugs for type 2 diabetes and obesity. The medicines, developed from semaglutide, revolutionized physicians' methods of treating blood sugar and weight, benefiting millions in terms of their metabolic health. A new contender, ecnoglutide, has just shown in a phase 3 clinical trial that it could offer even more potent benefits particularly when it comes to weight loss.

Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the study adds to a rapidly growing body of research suggesting that next-generation GLP-1 drugs may not just equal but surpass existing therapies.

What Is Ecnoglutide?

Similar to semaglutide and dulaglutide, ecnoglutide is a class of GLP-1 receptor agonists. What sets ecnoglutide apart is its selective targeting of the cAMP pathway. These drugs imitate the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar and hunger. In stimulating insulin secretion, delaying digestion, and suppressing appetite, GLP-1 medications have become key in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and have also triggered substantial weight reduction.

How Does Ecnoglutide Work?

What distinguishes ecnoglutide is its selective inhibition of the cAMP pathway. This is the most critical mechanism of GLP-1's desirable effects. Current GLP-1 medications broadly act on several cellular pathways, at times producing undesired side effects. Ecnoglutide's more focused action could provide similar or improved benefits with fewer off-target effects, potentially being both more effective and better tolerated.

To test ecnoglutide, scientists performed a 52-week, randomized, phase 3 trial in 52 Chinese hospitals. The study enrolled 621 adults aged 18 to 75 with type 2 diabetes who were already on metformin, the current first-line treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either:

Ecnoglutide at 0.6 mg or 1.2 mg, or

Dulaglutide at 1.5 mg, another commonly used GLP-1 agonist.

The primary goal was to measure changes in HbA1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control, after 32 weeks. Safety, weight loss, and other cardiovascular risk markers were also tracked.

Both medications reduced blood sugar equally as well, demonstrating that ecnoglutide is on par with dulaglutide. But as for weight loss, the outcome was more dramatic. People taking ecnoglutide lost nearly twice the weight of those taking dulaglutide. On average, they also experienced greater decreases in:

• Waist and hip size
• Triglycerides (a form of fat associated with risk of heart disease)
• Significantly, these benefits were achieved with lower doses of ecnoglutide than with dulaglutide, which suggests higher efficiency and potentially lower costs of treatment.
• Side effects were mild and well known to anyone tracking GLP-1 drug studies—primarily nausea and diarrhea—and tended to dissipate as patients adjusted to the drug.

Osteoarthritis notwithstanding, type 2 diabetes and obesity are still two of the most urgent global health emergencies. Per the CDC, there are more than 37 million Americans who have diabetes and over 42% of U.S. adults with obesity. The two are strongly associated with heart disease, stroke, and lower life expectancy.

Though lifestyle approaches like diet and exercise continue to be paramount, medications like semaglutide and now ecnoglutide provide a potent medical intervention for those who cannot get adequate effects from lifestyle alone. The fact that ecnoglutide potentially surpasses an already proven GLP-1 drug suggests it could become a significant tool in the treatment armory.

Is Ecnoglutide the Next Ozempic?

It's early days yet. This was the initial phase 3 study of ecnoglutide, and it was of particular patients with type 2 diabetes in China. Additional research, particularly in heterogeneous populations and head-to-head comparison with semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), is required to establish its benefits.

Scientists also will investigate how ecnoglutide works with other diabetes medicines and if it may have similar long-term risks as GLP-1 drugs, such as effects on the pancreas or eyes.

Nonetheless, that ecnoglutide had equivalent blood sugar control and better weight loss than dulaglutide in such a high-stakes trial is a strong indication of its promise.

Accessibility and Cost Considerations

One of the criticisms for existing GLP-1 drugs is that they are very expensive and have a low availability, and this has limited access even in rich countries such as the U.S. The scientists who developed ecnoglutide hope it will be less expensive and simpler to make, potentially making it more accessible around the world if approved for use internationally.

This would be a major benefit, particularly in low- and middle-income nations where diabetes prevalence is rising but resources to support advanced treatments are limited.

The pharmaceutical sector is in the midst of an ecnoglutide boom, with firms competitively developing and optimizing these treatments. The triumph of ecnoglutide gives that trend further momentum, implying that we are merely just starting to discover the potential of GLP-1 biology.

For the time being, patients and doctors will have to hold their breath until bigger, multi-nation trials have been completed before ecnoglutide enters the popular lexicon. But to date, the signs are encouraging: a medication that can decrease blood glucose, have a greater weight-reduction effect, and quite possibly be more cost-effective than current drugs.

As the authors of the study said, "Ecnoglutide may serve to fill some unmet needs in type 2 diabetes treatment and constitute an advance in diabetes therapy."

Ecnoglutide's phase 3 trial has provided the medical world with a preview of the future of diabetes and obesity care. If subsequent research holds true, it may join or even exceed Ozempic and Wegovy as a first-line treatment. For millions of people with weight and blood sugar issues, that would be more than just longer lives – it would be healthier lives.