Kambo: What is the frog poison spiritual ritual' killing detoxers?

Kambo is an ancient shamanic healing ritual rooted in traditional South American Indigenous medicine. The practice involves applying secretions from the giant monkey frog to small burns on the skin. The frog secretes the substance to harm or deter predators, and similar toxins are released by many amphibians. Kambo is promoted in some Western wellness communities as a cure for many physical and mental conditions, including anxiety and arthritis, but no scientific evidence supports these claims. Multiple people have died after taking part, including a UK wellness coach and cancer survivor who died after a cleansing ceremony. Frog poison can be legally purchased in the UK, but it is not a licensed medicine, and the practice has been banned in other countries. Knowledge of the ritual has largely been passed orally, with early written documentation dating to 1925.

"Indigenous groups have warned against the use of kambo by non-specialist practitioners. A number of people around the world have died after taking part in an ancient healing practice known as kambo, which involves ingesting frog poison. The spiritual ritual of kambo, which is promoted among Western wellness communities as a onestop cure for a spectrum of physical and mental ailments, from anxiety to arthritis, is not backed by any scientific evidence."

"In April this year, 40-year-old United Kingdom wellness coach and cancer survivor Kristian Trend was the latest to die after reportedly taking part in a cleansing ceremony which involved kambo, local media reported. Trend's mother told the UK national newspaper, The Telegraph, that she wanted the practice to be banned. While it is legal to buy frog poison for kambo in the UK, it is not considered a licensed medicine. The practice has also been banned by other countries."

"Kambo is an ancient shamanic healing ritual with its roots in traditional South American medicine. It was practised by Amazonian Indigenous tribes centuries ago. The term kambo refers to the secretions of the giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor), which are applied to small burns on the skin during the ritual. Experts say it is hard to pin down the exact origins of kambo since knowledge of the ritual was generally passed down orally, rather than being written down."

"The monkey frog actually secretes kambo to kill or harm predators that try to attack it. The secretions are also called sapo, which translates to toad in Spanish. Many amphibians release such toxins. In February this year, European countries accused Russia of using a toxin made from the secretions of South American dart frogs to kill Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny."

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