RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AYAHUASCA USE
Avoid tyrosine:
Although the effect of Ayahuasca on MAO is a short and reversible inhibition, it is advisable, for those who suffer from hypertension, not to consume foods containing high levels of tyrosine (a precursor of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine) converted into tyramine by intestinal bacteria. Tyramine, in the presence of MAO inhibition such as that induced by Mariri, can reach the circulation causing an elevation in blood pressure. The use of some stimulants from the amphetamine group as well as some bronchodilators can also reinforce a tendency toward hypertension. Therefore, for those with hypertension, we recommend limiting the consumption of beverages and foods rich in tyrosine for 24 hours before the Ceremony.
Foods rich in tyrosine: red wines, beer and whisky, fermented soy (miso), broad beans, aged and fermented cheeses, smoked fish, pâté from canned animal products, concentrated meat sauces, sausages, fermented cabbage (Sauerkraut) and protein supplements sold at gyms.
Tryptophan:
Some people hoping to enhance the effects of the tea intend to raise their serotonin levels by ingesting a greater quantity of the essential amino acid, the fundamental dietary precursor in the organic synthesis of serotonin — tryptophan. Several studies demonstrate that the concentration of serotonin in the brain is directly proportional to the concentration of tryptophan in the plasma and nervous system. Dietary intake of tryptophan directly influences the amount of serotonin in the plasma, brain and all body tissues. For tryptophan metabolism to occur, an adequate amount of vitamin B6 and magnesium is required. Tryptophan is the least abundant essential amino acid in foods: besides meats and anchovies, Swiss, comté, gruyère and parmesan cheeses, eggs and walnuts are rich in tryptophan. We do not recommend this type of diet, of dubious efficacy, as a means of enhancing the effects of the tea.
The vegetalist regime:
In the practice of vegetalists — healers using Ayahuasca as medicine for healing — it is common to recommend various regimens: mainly without meat (with pork excluded for many days before the experience), fats, salt, sugar, alcoholic beverages and sexual abstinence; tobacco, considered a sacred plant, is used in various rituals. Some of these precepts, such as the elimination of salt and alcohol, are justified from a biochemical standpoint; others have justifications of an essentially spiritualist nature.