Amazonian Indians have used psychoactive drugs from indigenous plants for hundreds of years. The plants are considered teachers, and the Indians use them for healing and vision quests. Ayahuasca, a combination of several potent plants, is used in shamanic ceremonies. These have become popular with spiritual seekers from other countries, spawning an ayahuasca tourism industry. But travelers must be very careful what they eat before, during and after their ayahuasca experience, as some substances in common foods could have deadly interactions.
Ayahuasca
The ayahuasca plant is a giant liana vine. To make the hallucinatory drink, shamans mix this plant with the chacruna or oco yagé plant. This concoction is used in ceremonies in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, western Brazil and Amazonian Peru. Its reach is expanding as religious movements like União do Vegetal and Santo Daime, which conduct ayahuasca ceremonies, attract more members around the world. While the shaman is under the influence of ayahuasca, believers claim he can astrally project, heal, remove spells, see the future and cast spells. The word ayahuasca means “vine of the dead” or “vine of the soul.”
Necessity of a Special Diet
The traditional line of reasoning was that ayahuasca drinkers needed a special diet to be pure enough to communicate with spirits. A more modern look at ayahuasca reveals that the plant contains a substance called harmine, which is a monoamine oxidase, or MAO, inhibitor. Monoamine oxidase occurs naturally in the body, where it has the important role of breaking down dangerous substances found in foods. When ayahuasca is consumed, the MAO inhibitor prevents the body from screening harmful chemicals out of common foods, including cheese, meat, avocados, soy sauce, chocolate and red wine. Failure to follow the diet can result in heart palpitations, high blood pressure and death.
Prohibited Foods
While everyone agrees a special diet is necessary, guidelines vary among the ayahuasca centers that lead tourists in the ceremonies. They generally agree you shouldn’t consume pepper, salt, dairy products, sugars, pork, hot peppers, red meat, soda, ice cream, alcohol or much oil immediately before or after your ceremony. Keep in mind that the shaman is from a much different culture and might not be familiar with drugs or supplements you are taking, so won’t think to warn you about interactions. Even large quantities of vitamins can give you unpleasant side effects. Also avoid tranquilizers, amphetamines, tryptophan and phenylalanine.
Tourism and the Ayahuasca Diet
Ayahuasca tourism has become so popular that tour companies, lodgings and restaurants are all making extra money from this trend. In Iquitos, Peru, the Dawn of the Amazon Café created a special ayahuasca diet menu for English-speaking tourists coming for ceremonies. The four-page menu lists simple foods that are allowable under the dietary restrictions. The menu is heavy on juices, smoothies, soup, salads, raw vegetable sandwiches, rice, quinoa and potatoes. Shamans recommend following the diet for a week before and after the ceremony.
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