Ecuador is the home of Ayahuasca, a traditional magical and healing brew, also called yajé and natema. The quechua name ayahuasca (pronounced aya'waska) can be translated as "vine of the spirit". The brew is prepared by boiling the plant material from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (which gives the brew it's name) and complementary plants such as chakruna (Psychotria viridis) or chalipanga (Diplopterys cabrerana).

Ayahuasca has been utilized for millenia by shamans and traditional healers of numerous tribes in Ecuador, including kichwa, secoya-siona, cofán, shuar-achuar and huaorani. The native elders working with Ayahuasca are called yachaks ("the ones who know, who have the power"), and they are skilled not only in the preparation of the brew, but also in the conduction of the ceremony, which is a safe way of working with this powerful psychoactive catalyst.

Being a natural medicine, well-prepared Ayahuasca brew is non-addictive and can be utilized for treating many illnesses and diseases including HIV and cancer. It is very effective in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. It is also a powerful anti-depressant.

The scientific explanation of the pharmacological activity of Ayahuasca is that the effect is dependent on a synergistic interaction between the alkaloids in the plants. Banisteriopsis caapi contains ß-carboline alkaloids, which are potent MAO-A inhibitors. The other plant contains the potent psychoactive agent N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is not orally active when ingested by itself, but can be rendered orally active in the presence of a peripheral MAO inhibitor. This this interaction is the basis of the psychotropic action of Ayahuasca.

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