Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage traditionally used by indigenous Amazonian tribes for ritual and medicinal purposes, contains compounds such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), β-Carbolines, and harmala alkaloids including harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline. The harmala alkaloids act as monoamine-oxidase inhibitors, enabling DMT's psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects on the central nervous system. Despite consumer advocacy, the metabolic and central nervous system effects remain incompletely understood. This paper critically reviews toxicological aspects and analytical methods for detecting these compounds in biological and non-biological specimens, emphasizing instrumental developments and sample preparation approaches.
An internet-based mindfulness meditation program improved depression, perceived stress, insomnia, and pain severity in older adults aged 55–80 compared to a waitlist control group, despite low adherence to daily home practice due to a local traumatic event. Improvements were sustained at a seven-week follow-up. The program offers a low-cost, accessible option for treating depression symptoms in this population.
Qigong, an internal art practice characterized as meditative movement or mind–body therapy, shows consistent benefits in pain, sleep, impact, and physical and mental function for people with fibromyalgia when practiced diligently (30–45 minutes daily for 6–8 weeks), with benefits maintained at 4–6 months. Effect sizes are large across four trials involving 201 subjects. Reports of more extensive practice over 1–3 years or even a decade indicate marked health benefits beyond core fibromyalgia domains, though these involve limited, self-selected subjects. Current treatment guidelines do not consider amount of practice and usually make indeterminate recommendations, but qigong merits further study as a complementary practice.