Health status of ayahuasca users
A review of 15 studies found that, beyond acute effects, ayahuasca use appears generally safe and may confer mental and physical benefits under certain conditions, but methodological biases and limited data preclude definitive conclusions. The authors call for further rigorous research to clarify ayahuasca’s long‑term health effects.
Authors
- Michael Bogenschutz
- Rick Strassman
- Paulo Barbosa
Published
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew originally used for magico‐religious purposes by Amerindian populations of the western Amazon Basin. Throughout the last four decades, the use of ayahuasca spread towards major cities in all regions of Brazil and abroad. This trend has raised concerns that regular use of this N,N‐dimethyltryptamine‐ and harmala‐alkaloid‐containing tea may lead to mental and physical health problems associated typically with drug abuse. To further elucidate the mental and physical health of ayahuasca users, we conducted a literature search in the international medical PubMed database. Inclusion criteria were evaluation of any related effect of ayahuasca use that occurred after the resolution of acute effects of the brew. Fifteen publications were related to emotional, cognitive, and physical health of ayahuasca users. The accumulated data suggest that ayahuasca use is safe and may even be, under certain conditions, beneficial. However, methodological bias of the reviewed studies might have contributed to the preponderance of beneficial effects and to the few adverse effects reported. The data up to now do not appear to allow for definitive conclusions to be drawn on the effects of ayahuasca use on mental and physical health, but some studies point in the direction of beneficial effects. Additional studies are suggested to provide further clarification. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research Summary of 'Health status of ayahuasca users'
Introduction
Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian decoction containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) that render DMT orally active via monoamine oxidase inhibition. Acute effects include perceptual, cognitive, affective and somatic changes that peak within 60–120 minutes and resolve by 4–6 hours; physiological responses are described as moderate. Over the past decades, ritual and non-ritual use of ayahuasca has spread from indigenous Amazonian contexts into urban Brazil and several other countries, provoking legal and public-health interest because DMT is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions. Cesar and colleagues set out to review the published human literature on persisting (non-acute) physical and mental health effects of ayahuasca. The paper aims to summarise empirical data collected at least 6 hours after ingestion, emphasising functional health domains (emotional, cognitive, behavioural, social, physical) and to identify gaps in knowledge relevant to safety, therapeutic potential, and future research directions.
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- APA Citation
Barbosa, P. C. R., Mizumoto, S., Bogenschutz, M. P., & Strassman, R. J. (2012). Health status of ayahuasca users. Drug Testing and Analysis, 4(7-8), 601-609. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.1383
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