The Harmala family of alkaloids is indeed psychoactive. They are found not only in Ayahuasca ingredient Banisteriopsis caapi vine, but also in tobacco smoke and brewed coffee. Those are the two most common sources in the human diet. Right behind are heat-cooked foods, beers, sake, whiskey and soy sauce.
These compounds are functionally monoamine oxidase inhibitors and they are readily absorbed into brain fatty tissues. Their presence in the human body can cause things like anxiety, depression and impulsive behavior, and it takes many weeks or months to completely clear your system of them.
Itβs only the irreversible MAOIs that get a bad rap for being somewhat incompatible with certain foods and other medicines.
These MAOIs are reversible, i.e. they will release from their substrate (the MAO enzymes) after some time. Irreversibles require the body to synthesize more of the enzyme to replace the enzyme molecules that got forever inactivated.
That said, some of the Harmala family alkaloids are also heavily comutagenic and some are neurotoxic.
These compounds are functionally monoamine oxidase inhibitors and they are readily absorbed into brain fatty tissues. Their presence in the human body can cause things like anxiety, depression and impulsive behavior, and it takes many weeks or months to completely clear your system of them.