What is Kambo?
Kambo is the name given to the venomous secretion of a tree frog that is applied topically on the skin by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon to heal and strengthen the mind, body and spirit. During a Kambo treatment the medicine is applied to the skin after small superficial burns are made with a red hot ember of a Tamishi vine or incense stick. Only the very top layer of the skin is burned. Once the burns have been made, the Kambo resin is applied to the wounds and this allows the medicine to communicate with the brain via the lymphatic system. The medicine contains a cocktail of bioactive peptides and neuropeptides which have a powerful effect on the body and brain and allow the body to heal itself.
Kambo-Tradition
There is a legend that tells that the Natives of the Kaxinawa tribe were very ill and the Shaman and medicine man, Kampu, had done everything that was possible to cure them. He had used all of his knowledge and medicines but he was unable to heal his people. Kampu then entered the forest and, while under the effect of a powerful visionary plant medicine called “Ayahuasca”, received an incredible vision. He was shown the Sapo Frog and how to use its medicine to heal the people of his village. Returning to the tribe and following the lessons from the vision that he had received, Kampu used the Kambo medicine to cure his people. After Kampu’s death, it is believed that his spirit has started living in the frog and the indigenous began to use its secretion to stay active and healthy.
Kambo-Warrier Medicine
The indigenous tribes use Kambo for many reasons. Physically it is used to fight disease and illness, as a remedy for snake and other venomous bites, to heal fevers and to increase fertility. It is also used before a hunt by the tribesmen to sharpen the senses and increase physical prowess. Spiritually it is used to remove ‘panema’, which the tribes define as dark, heavy or negative energies that manifest as sickness, bad luck, depression, laziness and a clouded mind. By removing ‘panema’, a person is free to live an abundant life full of good fortune, vitality and to stay in peak physical and mental condition.
Kambo-Science
Vittorio Erspamer, 2 time Nobel Prize nominee and renouned Italian pharmacologist and chemist from the University of Rome, was the first to research and analyze Kambo in a laboratory.In 1986, after considerable research, Erspamer concluded that Kambo contains a ‘fantastic chemical cocktail with potential medical applications, unequalled by any other amphibian’. His research findings brought considerable attention to the area of peptides and neuropeptides from the medical community. This has proven an invaluable milestone in the advancement of particular branches of medical science.
Kambo-Peptides
The bioactive peptides and neuropeptides present in Kambo cover a wide range of potential medical uses including depression, migraines, blood circulation problems, fertility problems, AIDS, hepatitis, cancer and brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons. The peptides perform hormone-like tasks while others provide support to vital cellular processes. Some of these peptides have a potent effect on the gastrointestinal muscles, gastric and pancreatic secretions, blood circulation, and on the stimulation of the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland. Kambo has amazing anti-inflammatory effects and a capacity to destroy various types of microbes and viruses. Kambo contains multiple antimicrobial peptides effective against drug-resistant strains of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, parasites and viruses.
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