Sometimes referred to as the “ spirit molecule”,N , N - dimethyltryptamine(DMT ) is among the strongest hallucinogenic compound on the satellite . Strangely , it occurs naturally within the human consistence , as well as a huge number of other being , including much of the food that we feed . For eld , scientists had no theme why the soundbox produces this intensely psychedelic chemical or what purpose it play , but new research has found that DMT facilitate to protect cells when O point are running low , preventing them from dying .
Though we often consume DMT , it does n’t normally produce any psychoactive force because it is broken down by enzyme in our stomachs . However , some plants found in the Amazon rainforest contain molecule thatinhibit these enzymes , and have been used for centuries by autochthonous communities to unlock the full potentiality of DMT . contain within a brew calledayahuasca , the corpuscle radically alters the knowingness of those who drink it , all of which add to the mystery surrounding this astonishingly common chemical compound .
Recently , researchers discovered that DMT stick tosigma-1 receptors , which are found throughout the human body and play a persona in protecting cells fromoxidative stress . This takes place when oxygen floor are too lowly , and can result inapoptosis , or cell death .
In a new subject appearing in the journalFrontiers in Neuroscience , researchers investigated the protective effects of DMT on neuron and immune cellular phone under hypoxic conditions , which pertain to an extreme deficiency of atomic number 8 .
With oxygen concentrations of just 0.5 percent , apoptosis pass off in all cubicle type within six hours . However , when lilliputian amounts of DMT were added to the equality , survival of the fittest times were drastically increase , propose that the mote does indeed protect cells from oxidative stress .
DMT may be responsible for the white luminousness and other " mystical " visions that multitude sometimes cover following near - dying experience , although this can not yet be confirmed . lassedesignen / Shutterstock
The squad repeated the chore using cells that had been engineered to miss sigma-1 receptors , and found that this wholly winnow out the protective result of DMT , sustain that the compound work by activate these sense organ .
Study conscientious objector - author Attila Szabó enjoin IFLScience that " when DMT binds to the sigma-1 receptor it dramatically increases the survival of neuron , " which could have a numeral of clinical practical program , include treatingbrain injury . He add together that " if you use sigma-1 agonists , including DMT , then this could widen the period of clinical death , " thereby enabling brain cells to survive for longer and eventually recuperate .
Szabó also pronounce that it is not yet known if the production of DMT is naturally increased as a character of defense mechanism when the body undergoes hypoxic stress - or if this might be creditworthy for the " mystical experience " that mass sometimes report following near - death experiences . However , he say that " if there is an increase in DMT at near - death situations , it may certainly go to these modification in knowledge . "
