Kambo and the Immune System — What the Science Actually Shows
Few claims in the Kambo world are repeated as often, or as imprecisely, as "it boosts the immune system." The anecdotal evidence behind it is consistent and widespread. The biology behind it is more nuanced — and more interesting — than a simple on/off switch. Let's look at what's actually happening, what the peer-reviewed literature says, and where the honest limits of current knowledge are.
What People Consistently Report
Across a large and growing anecdotal record, Kambo participants report that in the weeks and months following a session, they experience:
Fewer colds, infections, and viral illnesses
Longer periods without getting sick than they've previously experienced — some report 6 to 12 months without a significant illness
A general sense of physical vitality and resilience
Faster recovery when illness does occur
These reports are too consistent, too specific, and too widespread to dismiss. They are not, however, the same as clinical evidence — and distinguishing between the two is part of engaging with this medicine honestly.
The Short-Term Dip: What Happens in the First 24–72 Hours
Before discussing immune enhancement, there is something less commonly communicated that participants deserve to know: in the first 24 to 72 hours after a Kambo session, some people experience a temporary reduction in immune function. Cold sores can emerge. Minor infections may activate. Dormant viruses occasionally become briefly active before resolving.
The mechanism is documented. Sauvagine — one of Kambo's primary peptides — acts on CRF1 receptors in the hypothalamus, triggering HPA axis activation and the release of glucocorticoids: the body's endogenous steroid-like compounds.1 Glucocorticoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents, and their acute release temporarily suppresses certain immune surveillance activities. Think of it as the immune system briefly redirecting its resources during an acute stress response — a well-established biological phenomenon seen after intense physical exertion, major surgery, and psychological trauma.
This is important practical information: not a reason to avoid Kambo, but a reason to schedule sessions carefully — not immediately before international travel, not during an active infection, not when already immunocompromised — and to support the body in the days that follow.
Longer-Term Immune Effects: The Research Picture
The most authoritative clinical review of Kambo's physiology to date — Thompson and Williams (2022) in SAGE Open Medicine — describes the longer-term immune picture carefully: "slightly enhanced activity of the immune system through the secondary immunomodulatory effects initiated by several of the peptides, including caeruleins and sauvagines."2
This is more conservative language than "immune boost" — deliberately so. The mechanisms are secondary and downstream: the HPA activation triggered by sauvagine, once resolved, appears to leave the immune system in a recalibrated state rather than a suppressed one. The lymphatic stimulation from the transdermal application and the vagal activation during the session may contribute to improved lymphatic circulation. The post-purge parasympathetic state appears to support the kind of systemic rest that immune function depends on.
None of this constitutes a simple "immune booster" claim. What it suggests is a temporary disruption followed by recalibration — a pattern consistent with what participants describe, and supported by a plausible biological mechanism, even if the clinical evidence base remains limited.
Dermaseptins: Real Antimicrobial Activity, With Important Limits
Kambo's secretion contains a family of antimicrobial peptides called dermaseptins. These are among the most scientifically well-documented compounds in the secretion — and among the most overstated in popular wellness narratives.
What dermaseptins demonstrably do in laboratory settings: they disrupt and destroy microbial cell membranes with broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi, yeasts, protozoa, herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), and HIV-1.3 Unlike antibiotics, they do not inhibit specific enzymes — they physically rupture pathogens — and they do not appear to generate resistance. Frontiers in Pharmacology published a comprehensive review of their pharmacology, mechanism, and potential medical applications in 2019, noting their promise as antibiotic alternatives, antiviral agents, and potential anticancer compounds.4
What we do not know: whether dermaseptins reach systemic circulation in sufficient concentration — through the transdermal application method of Kambo ceremonies — to produce equivalent antimicrobial effects in the living human body. Thompson and Williams (2022) state this directly: Kambo peptides "are present only briefly in the body and in very low systemic concentrations, making it unclear if Kambô elicits acute or longer-term antimicrobial properties in vivo."2 Most dermaseptin studies have used analogues (structurally similar but not identical peptides) and in vitro methods, not human clinical trials.
The potential is real. The clinical extrapolation is premature. Both things can be true.
Kambo and Autoimmune Conditions
Thousands of people with autoimmune conditions — lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease — have reported meaningful improvement after working with Kambo, sometimes including long periods of remission. This pattern is consistent enough to take seriously as a category of potential benefit.
The theoretical mechanism is Kambo's apparent immune-modulating capacity, as distinct from immune stimulation. Where autoimmunity involves a dysregulated immune system attacking the body's own tissue, a modulating intervention — one that supports the system in finding a new regulatory equilibrium rather than simply activating it — could theoretically produce benefit. Kambo's multi-receptor activity, particularly through CRF1 and opioid pathways, could contribute to this recalibration.
But the same population that may benefit most also carries the highest physiological risk in a ceremony context. People with autoimmune conditions or Lyme disease often enter sessions with already-depleted electrolytes and fragile fluid regulation. Kambo-induced purging and water intake significantly elevate the risk of hyponatremia in this group. Herxheimer reactions — intense die-off responses from pathogen disruption — can stress the liver and kidneys beyond what is safely manageable without specialized support. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) can be triggered unpredictably by the heat, stress, and novel compounds present in a ceremony. Inflamed or compromised tissue — esophageal, gastric, or vascular — carries elevated risk of mechanical injury during intense purging.
None of this places autoimmune conditions categorically outside the scope of Kambo work. It places them squarely within the scope of specialized, expert-led Kambo work — with individualized protocols, carefully calibrated doses, thorough screening, and robust integration support. Standard ceremony guidelines are not sufficient for this population.
The Honest Summary
The evidence available in 2025 supports the following, carefully stated conclusions:
Kambo produces documented secondary immunomodulatory effects through its action on the HPA axis and related peptide pathways (Thompson & Williams, 2022).
A short-term immune dip in the 24–72 hours post-session is physiologically plausible and widely observed.
Dermaseptins have potent antimicrobial activity in vitro; whether this translates to systemic in vivo effects in humans remains unestablished.
The widespread anecdotal reports of enhanced immune resilience are consistent with the documented biology but are not confirmed by clinical trials.
Autoimmune populations may represent both the highest potential benefit and the highest risk, requiring specialist expertise.
At Holistika Center, we work from this honest picture — not from inflated claims, not from unwarranted dismissal. The immune system is an adaptive, responsive network. What Kambo appears to offer it is a disruption significant enough to prompt recalibration. Whether that recalibration produces lasting benefit depends on what follows: the integration, the lifestyle, the support structure.
The ceremony is not the medicine. The ceremony is the catalyst. What you do with it is the medicine.
Ritshi Zenati, Speaker & Life Coach
Founder at Holistika Center.
Holistika Center holds Kambo within multi-day plant medicine retreats across Barcelona, Málaga, Mallorca, Switzerland, Germany, and Norway. Learn more at
References
Erspamer, V. et al. (1993). Pharmacological studies of 'sapo' from the frog Phyllomedusa bicolor skin. Toxicon, 31(9), 1099–1111. Sauvagine/CRF1 mechanism.
Thompson, C. & Williams, M.L. (2022). Review of the physiological effects of Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion peptides on humans receiving Kambô. SAGE Open Medicine. doi:10.1177/23978473221085746
Bartels, E.J.H., Dekker, D. & Amiche, M. (2019). Dermaseptins, multifunctional antimicrobial peptides: a review of their pharmacology, effectivity, mechanism of action, and possible future directions. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10:1421.
Ibid.
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