I often see this claim on the internet and am surprised how often I'm asked about it. Below, a breakdown of a 2019 study in (mostly) rats looking at this.
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#psychedelics
nature.com/articles/s4159…
#DMT has been detected in mammalian tissues before. Usually this has been outside the brain, in very small amounts, making it questionable whether it's physiologically relevant or just a metabolic byproduct.
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If you want to learn more about these compounds and how they affect the brain, check out this article I wrote a few years ago:
sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/wor…
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That's what this 2019 study in rats looked at.
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DMT levels were found at roughly half the levels of serotonin (5-HT).
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It was measured at lower levels than serotonin but still comparable to levels of major neurotransmitters.
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What, if anything, it's natural function in the brain actually is remains to be determined...
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So to date, as far as I'm aware, there's no good evidence that the pineal gland makes #DMT.
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