About Kambo
An Ancient Amazonian Practice
You may never have heard of Kambo. That is about to change.
Kambo is one of the most extraordinary and profound ceremonial practices available today. Used for centuries by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon rainforest, it has been quietly transforming lives long before the Western world began to pay attention.
If you have arrived here through your fertility journey, you are in the right place.
What Is Kambo
Kambo is the secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor, the Giant Green Monkey Tree Frog of the Amazon rainforest.
It is not a psychedelic. It does not create visions or altered states of consciousness. It is a deeply physical, deeply cleansing ceremonial experience that those who come to it describe as unlike anything else they have ever encountered.
The secretion is collected humanely and respectfully from the frog, which is released unharmed. The frog is never killed and is never harmed in the process. This is a practice rooted in deep respect for the natural world.
Where Kambo Comes From
For centuries, the indigenous tribes of the Amazon rainforest — including the Matses, Katukina, and Mayoruna peoples — have incorporated Kambo into their ceremonial and traditional practices.
These tribes have long held Kambo as one of their most important and trusted ceremonial practices. They have used it as part of their preparation for hunting, for deep personal and communal ceremony, and for supporting the health and vitality of their communities.
The women of these tribes have long included Kambo as part of their ceremonial practices around fertility and new life. Long before Western science had the tools to investigate why, these communities held a deep and unquestioned trust in what Kambo could do for the body, the mind, and the spirit.
That trust has been passed down through generations and remains alive today.
The Extraordinary Science of Kambo
In 1986 Italian pharmacologist Vittorio Erspamer, who also discovered serotonin and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize, became the first Western scientist to analyse the Kambo secretion in a laboratory setting.
His conclusion was remarkable. He described the secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor as containing what he called a fantastic cocktail of active peptides unlike anything else found in nature.
To date sixteen bioactive peptides have been isolated from the Kambo secretion. These compounds have been of significant interest to researchers and pharmaceutical companies worldwide since the 1960s. There are currently over 70 Kambo related peptide patents registered primarily in the USA, as researchers and pharmaceutical companies have sought to understand and replicate the extraordinary properties of these compounds.
The peptide profile of Kambo is considered by those who have studied it to be genuinely unique in the natural world. Many of these peptides are structurally similar to compounds the human body produces naturally, which is widely considered to be one of the reasons the body responds to Kambo in the way it does.
The peptides currently identified in the Kambo secretion include dermorphin, deltorphin, phyllokinin, phyllomedusin, phyllocaerulein, sauvagine, dermaseptin, adenoregulin, and several others. Each has been the subject of ongoing scientific interest and research.
What makes Kambo peptides remarkable is that they are bioactive, each one performs a specific, beneficial function within the human body. Unlike many synthetic compounds, the body recognises these peptides as structurally similar to molecules it produces itself, and responds accordingly.
Phyllokinin: A potent bradykinin analogue, three times more active than bradykinin itself. Dilates blood vessels, increases circulation to reproductive organs, and enhances permeability of the blood-brain barrier, allowing deeper systemic effect.
Phyllomedusin: A powerful vasodilator and tachykinin. Stimulates smooth muscle contraction, activates the salivary glands, tear ducts, and lower digestive tract. Drives the physical purging response and promotes deep systemic cleansing.
Phyllocaerulein: Stimulates the pituitary gland and adrenal cortex. A natural analgesic that reduces blood pressure, supports thermoregulation, and heightens sensory perception. Relevant to hormonal cascade regulation through pituitary stimulation.
Sauvagine: Interacts directly with the pituitary-adrenal axis and corticotropin-releasing receptors, the same systems that govern cortisol, stress, anxiety, and mood. Helps regulate the stress hormones that suppress reproductive function. Also stimulates dopamine release.
Dermorphin: An opioid-like neuropeptide with a binding affinity for mu-type opioid receptors up to 40 times more potent than morphine, without the addictive properties. Powerful analgesic and mood-regulating effects. Supports the body's natural pain and stress response systems.
Deltorphin: Pairs with dermorphin at delta opioid receptors. Potent analgesic peptide. Both deltorphin and dermorphin are structurally similar to the beta-endorphins the human body produces naturally, influencing mood, blood pressure, heart rate, and hormonal regulation.
Dermaseptin / Adenoregulin: A family of powerful antimicrobial peptides active against bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa, and enveloped viruses. Research at the University of Paris demonstrated their effectiveness against certain cancer cells. Adenoregulin binds to A1 adenosine receptors, fundamental to cell energy, and has immune-modulating effects. Critical for clearing underlying infections that may silently impact fertility.
Tryptophyllins: Shown to be highly potent against Candida albicans. Inhibit the growth of microorganisms and have effects on smooth muscle. Research into their full function is ongoing.
Kambo and Fertility
The women of the Amazonian tribes who have used Kambo ceremonially for generations have long incorporated it into their practices around fertility and the welcoming of new life. This is not a modern interpretation. It is a tradition that has existed for centuries within these communities.
Many people who come to the Fertility Boost Programme have been on long and exhausting journeys. They arrive having explored many paths. They describe something shifting after their sessions that nothing else had reached.
We can not legally make claims about what Kambo does in the UK. We simply hold the space, honour the practice, and walk alongside you on your journey.
Kambo and the Fertility Boost Programme
At Conscious Conception with Claire Anstey, Kambo is the foundation of the Fertility Boost Programme, combined with the IAKP Fertility Acupuncture Point Sequence to create an experience that is entirely unique to this practice.
Claire Anstey is an IAKP Certified Kambo Practitioner. Every session is held within the professional standards and guidelines of the International Association of Kambo Practitioner
Ready to Learn More?
Precautions & Contraindications: Is Kambo Right For You? →
The Kambo Ceremony: What to Expect →