Introducing Banisteriopsis Caapi: Awake Healer PureVine

You’ve probably heard of Ayahuasca as a recreational hallucinogenic drug from the Amazon region. Or maybe you’ve seen a documentary about South American shamans using ayahuasca in religious ceremonies. Maybe you’ve wondered why people would travel to the jungle to ingest substances that can make them sweat and vomit, by choice. Can the benefits really be worth it? Is there a way to experience those benefits in smaller doses? Are there compounds in Ayahuasca that could provide scientifically proven health benefits? The answer to all of these questions is yes.

Ayahuasca is essentially a tea brewed from two plants– the banisteriopsis caapi vine, or caapi,  and the leaves of the psychotria virdis, or chakruna plant. Sometimes other leaves are used, but caapi is an essential and constant ingredient. Shamans consider the vine to be the essence of Ayahuasca and commonly refer to it as “the vine of the soul,” “the umbilical cord,” and “the mother.” Without it, enzymes in human saliva and digestive acids called monoamine oxidase (MAOs) would break down the hallucinogenic properties of the leaves and there would be no effect. The active compounds in the caapi vine are called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). They can work wonders in the human body.

Monoamine oxidase is also involved in removing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine (increases attention and arousal),  serotonin (stabilizes mood, promotes feelings of calm and happiness), and dopamine (creates feelings of pleasure and reward) from the brain. We can think of MAOs as the janitors of the brain, sweeping up after the party. As the neurotransmitters are removed from the brain, so are the feelings that they create. So it makes sense that allowing those substances to linger longer would also let the good feelings last. An MAOI like caapi vine acts to inhibit the janitor–to stop him from cleaning up and prolong the feelings of well-being. This works in ayahuasca by allowing the chakruna compounds to activate in the brain and prolonging their effects.

Banisteriopsis Caapi on its own in small amounts called microdoses can also behave like modern pharmaceutical antidepressants by prolonging feelings of well-being from neurotransmitters. Awake Healer brings Ayahuasca microdosing to our customers through our flagship product, PureVine. Health benefits of microdosing PureVine PureVine include:

• Mental and emotional stability
• Alleviation of depression and anxiety
• Enhanced intuition
• Improved vision
• Hunger suppression
• Relief from neuro-degenerative diseases
• General improvement in ability to cope and navigate life