Wellness coach dies after 'detox' using 'frog poison drug'
William Morgan
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A health fanatic and wellness coach has sadly died after reportedly ingesting frog poison as part of a 'detox' that is growing in popularity for bizarre shamanic 'cleansing rituals'.
Kristian Trend, 40, is believed to have collapsed at his home after taking the poisonous drug, which is derived from the skin secretions of the giant leaf frog into a substance known as 'Kambo', which was traditionally used by Amazonian tribes for religious ceremonies.
The poison is meant to be applied to a patch of burned skin, inducing a higher heart rate and vomiting, which are the intended effects, but people also report symptoms from psychosis to toxic hepatitis and organ damage after going through the ritual.
The cancer survivor from England is understood to have been using the frog poison as part of one of these 'purging' ceremonies, with his mom Angie sharing that her son had become increasingly spiritual and wanted to 'cleanse himself.'
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Speaking to The Telegraph about the toxic substance extracted from frogs more than 5000 miles away, Angie shared: "He took a lot of vitamins. But I don’t know what happened.
"We haven’t had the test results back yet. I don’t know anything, and I don’t even think I want to know what happened. It won’t bring him back."
Her son's death tragically comes after his miraculous recovery from Burkitt lymphoma cancer, which left him being treated in hospital for four months. Afterwards, he became an advocate for so-called alternative medicine.
He wrote on the website for his wellness and nutrition brand Feel Good Polys: "At 23, I was given up to six months to live without intensive treatment. A rare cancer diagnosis forced me to choose: live in fear, or surrender to a higher purpose.
"After much travelling through India and Asia, immersed in holistic wellness and meditation, the path became clear."
But then, in April, he was rushed to hospital after falling ill at his home, with tests of his blood still ongoing to determine exactly what caused him to collapse and die. Another man, aged 41, has been arrested on suspicion of administering poison and has been released on bail.
Kambo is a pseudoscientific 'detox' ceremony based on the practices of groups indigenous to the Amazon basin that has become increasingly common as a supposed cure for a wide variety of ailments.
A ceremony typically involves the patient drinking a large amount of a traditional brew, before a practitioner uses a burning stick on their skin to cause it to burn and blister.
They then peel off this burnt top layer of skin and apply the waxy poison secretions of the giant leaf frog. This allows its toxins to enter the bloodstream, triggering an increased heart rate, flushing, and a full purging of diarrhea and vomiting.
There is no scientific evidence for the health benefits of this ritual, but there have been studies establishing the 'life-threatening risk' experienced by a number of people who have gone through the ceremony.
A 2020 research paper detailed a 41-year-old woman who underwent the treatment after telling her shaman that she was experiencing depression. After the poison was administered, she became floppy, unresponsive, and her breathing became worryingly shallow.
After being hospitalized, she was put on a mechanical ventilator for three days before recovering, only to develop terrifying visual hallucinations of animals and people that required further medication.
A week of intensive interventions after her Kambo ritual, she was eventually released from hospital.
With this wellbeing trend appearing to cause hospitalizations and death around the world, countries like Australia, Brazil, and Chile have already the substance, but Kristian Trend's government in the UK are yet to take action.
A UK government spokesperson said: "Any substance that poses a risk to public health or safety will be kept under review. We urge individuals to exercise caution when considering alternative therapies and to be aware of the potential risks involved."