40-year-old wellness coach from England, Kristian Trend, met with an unfortunate death after he reportedly took part in a controversial detox ritual involving Kambo, a toxic secretion derived from the Amazonian giant leaf frog.
Trend, a cancer survivor, participated in a Kambo cleansing ceremony, a substance traditionally used by some indigenous Amazonian communities in ritual practices.
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What is the ritual?
The procedure typically involves participants drinking large amounts of water before small burns are made on the skin. The frog secretion is then applied directly to the wounds, allowing the toxin to enter the bloodstream.
This causes the individual undergoing the ritual to experience some side effects like vomiting, sweating and increased heart rate—effects some practitioners interpret as part of the cleansing process.
It is purported that Kambo offers several benefits, both physical and psychological, that include enhancement of physical endurance, sharpening mental clarity, and boosting overall health.
As per a study, high concentrations of propeptides present in the frog’s secretions are quickly absorbed through damaged skin, inducing neuroexcitation, relaxation of smooth vascular muscle, and opiate-like effects that last about 15 minutes. However, other effects include neuropsychiatric symptoms like confusion, memory loss, lethargy, convulsions, psychosis, inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormones (SIADHs), and damage to the kidneys, pancreas, and liver (including hepatitis), primarily due to the action of deltorfin proteins, which are high-affinity δ-opioid receptor agonists.
The study also emphasised that public health policies must address the unregulated sale and use of Kambo, especially through online channels, to prevent misuse and minimise harm.
