Kambo, an ancient shamanic healing ritual originating from South America, has gained popularity in Western wellness communities as a purported cure for various ailments. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting its efficacy, and multiple deaths have been reported worldwide.

In April 2025, 40-year-old UK wellness coach and cancer survivor Kristian Trend died after participating in a kambo ceremony. His mother called for a ban on the practice. While buying frog poison for kambo is legal in the UK, it is not recognized as a licensed medicine.

The ritual involves applying secretions from the giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) to small burns on the skin. The bioactive peptides in the secretion cause violent vomiting, rapid drops in blood pressure, and can lead to cardiac issues, esophageal rupture, and death.

At least six deaths have been linked to kambo in recent years: a 52-year-old man in Brazil (2008), a man with obesity in Italy (2018), 39-year-old Natasha Lechner in Australia (2019), Jarrad Antonovich in Australia (2021), 33-year-old Mexican actress Marcela Alcazar Rodríguez (2024), and Kristian Trend (2025).

Kambo is banned or restricted in several countries. Brazil banned its sale and marketing in 2004. Chile prohibits import of the frog poison. Australia classified kambo as a poison in 2021. It is illegal in the US, and the US embassy in Peru warned citizens against its use in January 2025.

Indigenous experts, including Yamanawa leader Joaquim Luz, have criticized the commercialization of kambo and warned that using it without proper preparation and permission from Indigenous communities poses serious risks. A review in the medical journal Cureus called for tighter regulation of the practice.

Source: www.aljazeera.com