The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) also warns against a similar product, called OPEN UP. The NVWA advises consumers not to use the substances and orders sellers to stop trading them. The authority says it monitors compliance with that instruction to sellers.
According to Giel Beelen, the herbal mixture would help the user to ‘find the inner self’. A report about Shambala was made to the National Poisons Information Center (NVIC), after which the NVWA launched an investigation.
Shambala and OPEN UP contain harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine. “When exposed to higher doses of these substances, nausea, vomiting and more serious effects such as hallucinations, coordination disorders, disturbed vision and paralysis can occur,” according to the NVWA.
Single use in a dosage as stated on the packaging can also be harmful to the central nervous system, according to the authority. “This can lead to pupil dilation, salivation or low blood pressure.”