Caapi

Banisteriopsis caapi is a woody vine from the Amazon basin. The Shipibo-Conibo and dozens of other Amazonian peoples have worked with it for centuries — they call it the vine of the soul.

Ayahuasca is a brew of two plants. Caapi is one. The other, usually chacruna, is what contains DMT. This is the vine alone. No chacruna, no DMT, no psychedelic experience. What's left is what Amazonian communities have also always used by itself: a daily tonic rather than a ceremony.

Banisteriopsis caapi vine extract (40:1), distilled water. 

No alcohol. Most tinctures are alcohol-based, which is why they burn. This one is water-based — so it dissolves cleanly into anything, hot or cold, without the alcohol taste.

Cielo caapi vines from the Ucayali region of Peru, prepared by indigenous Shipibo Conibo shamans over a wood fire the traditional way. Bottled in a GMP-certified UK facility and independently lab-tested for botanical identity, purity and alkaloid content. Naturally rich in MAOI beta carboline alkaloids. Made from cielo caapi vines of the Ucayali region by indigenous Shipibo Conibo shamans in Peru.

Vegan. No sugar, additives or fillers.

Take ten drops under the tongue, hold two to three minutes, then swallow. Or stir the same ten drops into your tea.

Find your rhythm. Daily for 30 days is the traditional protocol and what the maker recommends. A few days a week works too — this is yours to shape. What matters more than frequency is consistency: caapi's effects are slow and cumulative, and you can't spot a gradual shift if your intake is all over the place. Pick a pattern you'll keep.

One bottle is 30ml, roughly 600 drops. Store cool and dark, away from children.

Caapi's actives are beta-carboline alkaloids — harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine. Here's what's been found, and how far it goes.

Memory and learning. Harmine, caapi's most abundant alkaloid, has been studied for its effects on memory and on the hippocampus — the brain region most tied to learning. A 2017 systematic review concluded the preclinical findings were strong enough to warrant human trials.

Brain cell growth. All three of caapi's main alkaloids stimulated adult neural stem cells to multiply, migrate and mature into new neurons.

Mood. Rodent studies have reported antidepressant-like effects from harmine under chronic stress, which researchers linked to restored astrocyte function.

Inflammation. Compounds from caapi extract reduced inflammatory activity in microglia, the brain's immune cells.

Parkinson's disease: Harmaline, (found in b.caapi) shows interactions at glutamatergic receptors , which studies suggest play a significant role in restoring motor function in Parkisons disease.

The honest part: no completed human trial of caapi alone exists. All of the above is animal or cell work. Promising, but unfinished.

Caapi is an MAO inhibitor, and psilocin (in truffles) is broken down by MAO. So if you're taking caapi and you take your usual truffle dose, it can hit noticeably harder and last considerably longer than you're used to. Dose your microdose accordingly. 

Is it legal? → Yes, in the Netherlands and most of Europe — caapi isn't a controlled substance. 

Will I get high? → No. At ten drops a day you won't feel anything resembling a trip. 

When will I notice something? → Unlikely on day one. Most people report noticing effects after taking for at least a week.

Can I get addicted? → Harmala alkaloids aren't associated with physical dependence.

What's the best before date? → Best before the end of 2026, which is a quality date, not a safety one.

Who is this not for? → Caapi contains naturally occurring MAO inhibitors. Do not take it with SSRIs and SNRIs (sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, venlafaxine, duloxetine, tricyclics, mirtazapine, bupropion, tramadol, pethidine, or dextromethorphan).

"I felt focused, sharp, I was less tired throughout the day. I didn't feel the need to drink coffee or eat sweet food."

"Good alternative to 'big Pharma' medicine for a calming 'chill out' effect. Its great to be taking something natural with an ancient spiritual legacy.