{"id":895630,"date":"2026-10-26T21:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/895630\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T21:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:08:12","slug":"ayahuasca-supplements-promise-benefits-without-the-brutal-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/895630\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayahuasca supplements promise benefits without the brutal trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forget trekking into the Amazon \u2014 or dropping thousands on a luxury jungle retreat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For centuries, ayahuasca has been a cornerstone of Indigenous healing practices and spiritual traditions across the Amazon. More recently, the potent brew has gained a following among Westerners<\/a> seeking everything from emotional healing and enlightenment to a mind-bending adventure.<\/p>\n

But what if you could tap into some of the compounds found in ayahuasca without the intense, and sometimes brutal, psychedelic trip?<\/p>\n

Ayahuasca has been used for centuries by Indigenous communities across the Amazon. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the idea behind Happy Caapi<\/a>, a new oral supplement derived from the Amazonian vine used to make ayahuasca.<\/p>\n

Its makers say the product can support mental well-being, cognitive function and brain health without the hallucinations, intense psychological effects and other experiences associated with the tea. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to take 50 different things for your mood, focus and performance,\u201d Harmony Morgan, one of the founders of Happy Caapi, told The Post. \u201cThis will really cover your whole baseline.\u201d <\/p>\n

A mind-bending brew<\/p>\n

To understand Happy Caapi, it helps to know what gives ayahuasca its power.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, ayahuasca is made by combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves of other plants, often Psychotria viridis, which contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine, better known as DMT<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DMT is a potent hallucinogen, but when swallowed on its own, it\u2019s quickly broken down by enzymes in the gut before it can produce its characteristic effects.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the caapi vine comes in. It contains compounds called beta-carbolines, including harmine and harmaline, that block an enzyme known as monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). <\/p>\n

Happy Caapi is derived from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. artinlumine \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

By inhibiting this enzyme, DMT is able to survive the stomach and small intestine, enter the bloodstream and reach the brain, where it can trigger its powerful psychoactive effects.<\/p>\n

Together, the plants can produce profound shifts in consciousness, with effects ranging from vivid visual and auditory hallucinations to altered perceptions of time and deep emotional introspection. <\/p>\n

For some, the experience can feel transformative, but for others, it can be grueling. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common, while intense hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia can turn the journey into a frightening ordeal.<\/p>\n

There are also more serious risks<\/a>. Ayahuasca can be dangerous for people with certain psychiatric or cardiovascular conditions, and it can trigger potentially serious interactions with some medications, including certain antidepressants.<\/p>\n

Happy \u2014 without the high<\/p>\n

In recent years, ayahuasca has caught the attention of scientists, with researchers exploring whether its psychoactive compounds could hold promise for treating mental health conditions such as depression<\/a> and substance use disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a catch: In the US, DMT is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, making ayahuasca generally illegal, with limited exceptions for certain religious groups<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The caapi vine itself, however, isn\u2019t federally scheduled. That means supplements like Happy Caapi, which contain no DMT, can be sold in the US \u2014 and its makers say the extract offers benefits of its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are more things than MAO inhibition does for your brain health than just allowing the DMT to get to your brain,\u201d Gonzalo Bisquerra, the founder and CEO of Happy Caapi, told attendees crowded around the company\u2019s booth at Dave Asprey\u2019s Beyond Psychedelics conference<\/a> in Austin, Texas, earlier this month, where the product sold out. \u201cThis is nature\u2019s antidepressant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The supplement contains no DMT and, therefore, produces no high. McKenzie Beard\/NY Post<\/p>\n

Laboratory studies suggest that harmine and other beta-carbolines found in the caapi vine may influence brain processes involved in neurotransmitter signaling, inflammation<\/a> and neuroplasticity \u2014 the brain\u2019s ability to adapt, learn and form memories<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Researchers are also exploring whether these compounds could protect brain cells from oxidative stress<\/a>, a form of cellular damage linked to aging and various diseases, and influence pathways involved in mood regulation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Happy Caapi\u2019s makers say users have reported less mental chatter, better focus, an easier time staying present and an improved mood after taking the supplement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to feel a high or any sort of distortion,\u201d Morgan said.<\/p>\n

When I tried it after a long day of schmoozing with psychedelic and neuroscience experts at a conference, I felt more alert \u2014 kind of like I\u2019d had a cup of coffee, minus the jitters or trouble sleeping that night. My mood was upbeat, too, though it\u2019s hard to say whether that was the supplement or the kumbaya vibes in the room.<\/p>\n

Others I\u2019ve given samples to have reported similar effects, while some haven\u2019t noticed much of anything in the moment. <\/p>\n

Of course, personal experiences are just that: personal. Many of the claims surrounding the caapi vine are still being investigated, and more clinical studies are needed to better understand how reliably the supplement delivers these effects.<\/p>\n

The oral extract costs $40 for 50 milliliters. Courtesy of Happy Caapi<\/p>\n

And while Happy Caapi won\u2019t get you high, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s risk-free.<\/p>\n

The company advises people taking prescription medications to consult a healthcare professional before using the product. They also warn against combining it with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tramadol, DXM (dextromethorphan) or large amounts of tyramine-rich foods, including some aged and fermented products.<\/p>\n

Happy Caapi isn\u2019t recommended for people with bipolar disorder, psychosis or seizure disorders, as well as those with significant liver disease. There isn\u2019t enough evidence to establish whether the product is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.<\/p>\n

Happy Caapi\u2019s products are tested by a third-party laboratory accredited to ISO standards to check for pesticides, heavy metals, DMT and other substances. The company sources its caapi vine from a single, traceable supplier in South America and provides a certificate of analysis for each bottle.<\/p>\n

The supplement officially launched in July and is available online for $40 for a 50-milliliter bottle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Forget trekking into the Amazon \u2014 or dropping thousands on a luxury jungle retreat. For centuries, ayahuasca has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895631,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[355285,1491,186,3282,97,1244,243,259,20310,582,673],"class_list":["post-895630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-ayahuasca","tag-brains","tag-exclusive","tag-experimental-drugs","tag-health","tag-health-and-wellness-products","tag-medication","tag-mental-health","tag-psychedelics","tag-supplements","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895630\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}