Wednesday 16 November 2022 10:53 PM Ayahuasca warning: Hippy brew causes headaches, vomiting and mental health ... trends now
Concerns are being raised about the side effects of a psychedelic drink enjoyed by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Miley Cyrus and Joe Rogan.
Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 from more than 50 countries about their experiences with ayahuasca, an ancient South American brew.
They found 70 per cent experienced at least one adverse physical effect and more than half said they had negative mental health issues while on ayahuasca.
The most commonly reported physical side effects were vomiting or nausea, headache and abdominal pain — but a small number suffered seizures.
However, these negative effects were rarely severe, and nearly 90 per cent of users considered them 'completely or somewhat part of a positive growth process'.
Ayahuasca is a drink made by boiling together vine stems along with leaves from a chacruna shrub — both native to the Amazonia region.
Because the effects are quite extreme, westerners who take ayahuasca usually do so in ceremonies led by a shaman, which have been covered in Netflix shows such as (Un)well.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers credited ayahuasca with helping him to win games in August and also give him a 'deep, meaningful' appreciation of life.
Miley Cyrus said she 'loved' the drug and that it left her seeing snakes immediately, in an interview with magazine Rolling Stone in 2020.
Joe Rogan is a big proponent of DMT — the active ingredient used in ayahuasca — and regularly shares his experiences on his podcast.
Dr Jose Carlos Bouso, a psychologist at the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Services in Barcelona, Spain, who led the work, said: 'Many are turning to ayahuasca due to disenchantment with conventional Western mental health treatments.
'However, the disruptive power of this traditional medicine should not be under-estimated, commonly resulting in mental health or emotional challenges during assimilation.'
Ayahuasca is a brown-reddish drink made by boiling stems from its namesake vine and leaves from the chacruna shrub together (pictured)
Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Miley Cyrus are among celebrities who have used Ayahuasca. It is popular among some for alleged healing benefits
