Ayahuasca is a bitter drink which has been extracted from plants found in the rainforest around the Amazon delta in South America. The leaves from the plant Psychotria Viridis contain the psychoactive drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) that has a structural resemblance with Serotonin, which is a chemical transmitter substance naturally found in the brain. When DMT binds to the nerve receptors in the brain, a change in the state of consciousness takes place. If DMT is taken orally it will be broken down by enzymes in the stomach. To prevent this from happening so-called MAO-inhibitors has to be present to neutralize the enzymes. The leaves from the Psychotria Veridis is cooked with bark from the Banesteriopsis Caapi tree. The bark contains beta-carbolines, which are MAO-inhibitors.
Ayahuasca has been used by native South American Indians and Shamans during at least a thousand years for spiritual and healing purposes...
