Do you know what diseases of civilization are? Some of them may be obvious, but others may not be. Here’s a list of a few of the commonly-referred to conditions that fall into this category: metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s dementia, depression, autism, ADHD, and chronic pain syndrome.

A common underlying mechanism in most of these conditions is chronic low grade inflammation (LGI) and oxidative stress. 

According to a paper published in Frontiers of Pharmacology, a receptor, called Sig-1R, may be responsible for turning environmental stress into cellular stress that negatively impacts us physiologically. They believe DMT and ayahuasca interact with this receptor in a way that helps counteract Sig-1Rs effects. They said, “It seems to us that the ingenuity of South American people discovered a broad-spectrum remedy, which hits the dead center of the discussed vicious circle of the malfunctioning molecular web involved in oxidative stress.”

So while the antidepressant and trauma-healing effects of Ayahuasca on mental health may be more well-known, it appears that it may be able to keep stress from taking its toll on our physical bodies as well.