Beyond the Psychoactive Effects of Ayahuasca: Cultural and Pharmacological Relevance of Its Emetic and Purging Properties.
Planta medica November 1, 2022 Matteo Politi, Giorgia Tresca, Luigi Menghini et al. 19 citations
Ayahuasca, a herbal preparation used by indigenous groups in the Amazon and mestizo populations, combines Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis to produce hallucinogenic, purging, and emetic effects. While its psychoactive properties have drawn global shamanic tourism and scientific interest in mental health, the traditional cosmological significance of purging and vomiting has been neglected. This review examines the understudied purging and emetic activity of ayahuasca, first by exploring its cultural role in Amazonian traditions, then by evaluating the known phytochemicals in the formula for their emetic and purging properties. The work argues that these effects are pharmacologically and culturally important, not merely secondary to the psychoactive ones.