Natural medicine is often fascinating, surprising and sometimes even a little off-putting. From now on, we will occasionally give you an insight into special methods that were still unknown to us.
Today we are talking about Kambô, a traditional healing practice from the Amazon that uses the secretion of the giant forest toad. This method, which is deeply rooted in the cultures of the Amazonian natives, promises a variety of health benefits, from physical and mental detoxification to increased energy.
When performing Kambô, the skin is lightly scratched with a hot object before the secretion is applied so that it can penetrate the bloodstream. This is followed by strong physical reactions, such as an increase in heart rate, nausea and sweating. The end result is said to be a feeling of physical and mental cleansing.
Medically, the secretion contains a rich mixture of peptides that can potentially have various physiological effects in the human body, for example stimulation of the immune system, pain relief, anti-inflammatory effects, antimicrobial effects: There is evidence that certain peptides in Kambô have antimicrobial effects and psychoactive and neuroprotective effects.
Despite all this, however, toad secretion is a toxin. Even snakes spit the toads straight back out if they accidentally eat them. In addition to the positive experience reports about the ceremonies, there are scientific studies, such as that by Sacco et al. (2022), which point to the risks and possible cases of poisoning by Kambô.
Sacco, M A et al. Kambô: Natural drug or potential toxic agent? A literature review of acute poisoning cases. “Toxicology reports vol. 9, 905–913 (2022)