Revered by the indigenous, feared by the gringo and touted by many as the ultimate panacea for human health, Kambo appears to be a ‘heal-all’ elixir unmatched by any other plant or animal medicine. Is this lofty claim backed up by any hard scientific evidence, or is it all just pie in the sky?
In order to get some answers, I invited pioneering researcher and Kambo practitioner Caitlin Thompson to the Planet Kambo podcast for an in-depth chat about the science of Kambo.
To the untrained eye Kambo can appear to be a wild, crazy and potentially dangerous practice that one would have to be out of their mind to consider but from the decade of experience I have on my own personal journey with Kambo and from the thousands of positive anecdotal reports, Kambo has proven to be a safe and effective medicinal treatment that has countless benefits.
Ever since I tried the sacred frog medicine for the first time I knew that there was something very special about it and there had to be a solid scientific explanation for what happens inside the body when the amphibian secretion is applied to the skin.
The Online Wild West
Through my own research, I became frustrated at the conflicting information regarding how Kambo works and the lack of real data about the mechanism of action for the powerful effects that it produces inside the human body. I uncovered a myriad of unanswered questions, sketchy scientific theories and pseudo-spiritual explanations and I was left scratching my head in disbelief.
The only piece of solid data I could find was concerning the peptides and neuro-peptides contained within the Kambo secretion.
These protein-like compounds have been well studied and documented but aside from that there was a gaping black hole in the online information where I would expect to see data from multiple clinical trials.
It pains me to say it but at the time of the publishing of this article, there have been no actual clinical trials done so the scientific information regarding what actually happens during a Kambo process is fuzzy, to say the least.
Although I consider myself an expert in the use of Kambo and its effects in a practical sense, I had many uncertainties about what actually happens inside the body when one receives Kambo. Essentially, my knowledge base is only as extensive as the information available online, which everyone has access to and the conflicting information was raising doubts in my mind as to whether this information was even really accurate.
In order to get some definitive answers I decided to speak to an expert, but finding a scientist and expert in the field of Kambo is no mean feat.
I had recently got in touch with Kambo practitioner and scientific researcher Caitlin Thompson and decided that recording a podcast with her would be a great idea.
Once Caitlin agreed to be featured I set about coming up with a list of questions to put to her. I had the chance to get all of my Kambo science questions answered and to have those nagging doubts and uncertainties vanquished and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste.
I put my thinking cap on and came up with a list of 16 questions. Most are specific science questions about the mechanism of action that I think need to be answered and a few are more quirky questions that I personally wanted to know the answer to.
The questions are as follows:
How does Kambo compare to psychedelic medicines in the way it affects the brain?
Are Deltorphin and Dermorphin only centrally active when administered by injection as opposed to transdermally?
Does Kambo cross the blood-brain barrier?
Is Kambo a poison?
Can Kambo be used in other ways that are not transdermal?
Does Kambo enter the body through the lymphatic system?
How does Kambo boost the immune system?
How does Kambo help people with autoimmune conditions?
Discussion about the use of water in the Kambo experience
Can you overdose on Kambo?
Hypothetically, is Kambo safe to do every day for the rest of your life?
Why is a bile flush healthy?
Discussion about the benefits of Kambo
What is the shaking/tremoring that some people experience during the Kambo process?
What do the different colours of the purges mean?
Do other organs release toxins during the Kambo process?
I won’t spoil it by telling you the answers, I’ll let you watch the podcast and you can find out for yourself. I will say this though, although Caitlin answered all of the questions and provided some profound insights...
The podcast illustrated the fact that there are gaping holes in the current scientific data and it really highlights the need for some serious scientific research to take place and extensive clinical trials to be done.
Before I wrap up I’d just like to say that it was a pleasure to have Caitlin on as a guest, she proved to be a true expert in this field and being able to pick the brain of a person of this calibre was an honour and a privilege.
I hope you enjoy watching, I’ll catch you soon.
I’m off to see a man about a frog….
Jon
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Co-founder,
Planet Kambo Ltd.
Plant medicine veteran & Planet Kambo co-founder Jonathan Gold, left an unfulfilling 10 year IT career to pursue a higher path of healing, self-discovery & enlightenment uniting him serendipitously with the transformational healing power of Kambo frog medicine.
Now a skilled facilitator boasting thousands of recovery testimonials, Jonathan escaped the matrix of corporate enslavement & lives a life of service, duty & soul alignment.