Study Shows Ayahuasca’s Painkiller Effects in Mice, No Toxic Effects
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew that has been used for centuries by Indigenous cultures in South America for divination, spiritual ceremonies and healing. It is made from the Psychotria viridis shrub and the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which contain DMT and harmala alkaloids, respectively. Interest in ayahuasca has grown in Europe and the United States over the last couple of years as people learn more about the brew’s potential therapeutic benefits in treating mental-health conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Now, new research has found that the brew can be used as a painkiller without any toxic effects.…