[LifeStyle] Research indicates that ayahuasca may contribute to a healthy lifestyle

[#Steeven.™]

As interest in ayahuasca spreads around the world, many questions arise about how to integrate it into communities far from its place of origin. Ayahuasca, although well known to more than a hundred indigenous groups in the Amazon basin, is new to countries outside of this region. As the globalization of these practices becomes more po[CENSORED]r, governments often do not know how to approach ayahuasca in public health settings.

In recent decades, ayahuasca research has expanded beyond the fields of anthropology and ethnobotany. Researchers are now applying a scientific lens to understand how ayahuasca works and its impact on human and community health. One angle of research that ICEERS has been exploring is the impact of ayahuasca on public health in countries where it has not been integrated into a particular society.

According to a study recently published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, ayahuasca can help maintain a healthy lifestyle. The research on the long-term impact was carried out by the ICEERS research team, in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Rovira i Virgili University, the University of São Paulo and the University of Leiden. The study evaluated 377 participants taking part in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands.

"Investigation like this is extremely important to provide public health officials and law enforcement with evidence outlining the real risks and benefits of ayahuasca," Dutch lawyer Adele van der Plas said when asked to comment. comment on the importance of the study.

This work echoes previous results from a 2019 ICEERS study of 380 participants in long-lasting ayahuasca ceremonies using health indicators published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Our research found that people who regularly participate in ayahuasca ceremonies in Spain had significantly better scores on exercise-related health indicators, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure compared to the national average. Respondents also reported a lower rate of physical limitations and chronic illnesses and a reduction in prescription drugs.2

The aim of this new observational and retrospective study was to assess the general health status of people who regularly participate in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands. This was the first research to use government-established health indicators to assess the well-being of participants in Dutch ayahuasca ceremonies and any potential benefits or risks. Health indicators help generate relevant scientific data to develop evidence-based policies. At a time when legislation has yet to catch up with the expansion of ayahuasca in the international arena, this new document creates a framework for policy makers to make evidence-based policy decisions on ayahuasca and other plant medicines. .

In the Global North, extensive work is done to ensure that various natural remedies are safe for human consumption. In addition, international law has commonly categorized indigenous plants and mushrooms as “drugs” that pose a potential risk to public health.3 The results of our research did not raise concerns to suggest that people who regularly consume ayahuasca are at risk of suffer health problems possibly related to its consumption. In fact, we found that the health of the participants in the ayahuasca ceremonies is comparable, or better in some aspects, to the national average.

 

Health indicators and the complexity of well-being
Our team collected demographic data from study participants, such as age, gender, national origin, education level, employment status, and household income. We also include several indicators from the Dutch Health Survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked questions about the total number of ayahuasca ceremonies respondents attended, the setting they were in, and the subjective effects on the individual's health.

Health indicators can be used to incorporate the complexities of well-being and go beyond examining health as a series of aspects that only occur within the body. As understanding of the multidimensional aspects of mental health increases, more attention is being paid to social isolation and loss of connection to the community as major risk factors. Loneliness and fulfillment in life are examples of abstract, non-biological factors that influence general health. In our study, the presence of long-term illnesses, the use of prescription drugs, and the feeling of loneliness were found to be statistically significant variables related to less than ideal health. The feeling of fullness in life and strong personal values were aspects that led to higher scores in the health indicators.

Health is a complex construct that is affected by a wide variety of factors. These results suggest that participation in ayahuasca ceremonies is a self-care practice or a stress reduction technique that people use to lead a healthier lifestyle.

 

Main findings on veteran participants in ayahuasca ceremonies
The current research data showed that the majority of the participants in ayahuasca ceremonies (94.7%) stated that they had a good or very good perception of health. They were also more physically active than the general po[CENSORED]tion. Seventy-four percent (74%) of the sample of participants in ayahuasca ceremonies performed a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Normal body mass index was much higher among participants in ayahuasca ceremonies compared to the Dutch normative data.

Participants in ayahuasca ceremonies also ate more vegetables, fruits and legumes and consumed less meat and grains per week compared to the national average. Respondents were found to be using more herbal remedies and fewer prescription drugs. They also reported a lower incidence of chronic disease, diabetes, and hypertension compared with normative data.

It was also found that people who participated in more than 100 ceremonies tended to adopt active problem-solving and coping strategies in stressful situations. Those who participated in fewer ceremonies (from three to ten) more frequently adopted avoidance behaviors. Most of the respondents did not reveal significant changes regarding the use of tobacco, alcohol and other substances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were statistically significant differences regarding alcohol consumption between those who participated in three to ten ayahuasca ceremonies compared to participants who participated in more than one hundred. Participants in a hundred or more ceremonies ended up consuming less alcohol than at the start of the pandemic.

Study participants also used the same amount of tobacco and heroin compared to the general Dutch po[CENSORED]tion and more cannabis, MDMA, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. These results are consistent with previously published studies indicating that psychedelics, in general, have been suggested to promote positive lifestyle changes.4 Research has also indicated that it is common for people to stop using drugs or reduce their use. after a psychedelic experience.5

The data is difficult to interpret, as the health indicators used in this study showed no difference in drug-related harm compared to the general po[CENSORED]tion. Further research is warranted to compare these specific parameters to better understand the impact of ayahuasca on substance use.

 

Considerations for future research
It is important to note that these results do not claim that the better scores for health indicators in the study are directly due to ayahuasca. Our conclusion is, rather, that people who regularly attend ayahuasca ceremonies also engage in other self-care practices or ways of managing stress that ultimately lead to better health. Like any study, this research has several limitations and further research is needed to understand the impact that ayahuasca can have on health and well-being.

The hope of this study is to provide public health and law enforcement officials with evidence outlining the actual risks and benefits of medicinal plants, such as ayahuasca. It can also contextualize the enormous complexity of human health and how many aspects beyond physiological factors influence it. Below is a link to the summary of the report.

 

https://www.iceers.org/es/investigacion-ayahuasca-estilo-vida-saludable/