Safety and Side Effects of Ayahuasca in Humans—An Overview Focusing on Developmental Toxicology
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 1, 2013 Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos 87 citations
Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew used in rituals, appears not to be seriously toxic to humans after either single or long-term use. While animal studies have raised concerns about possible harm to developing offspring, the limited human evidence on adolescents exposed to ayahuasca in the womb reports no serious toxic effects from ritual consumption. The authors caution against directly extrapolating animal data to humans and call for more basic and human research before drawing firm conclusions about risks to pregnant women and children.