The
rootstock of the blue water lily was collected and eaten in western
South Africa around 1800, either raw or in
curries, in particular by the
Cape Malays and farming communities in the Cape, although this practice has now died out.
Psychoactive effects It has been suggested that
Nymphaea caerulea was used in
ancient Egypt for religious rituals, sexual enhancement, and other purposes, due to the purported presence of
nuciferine and
apomorphine, the latter of which is also used today to treat
erectile dysfunction. The key active constituents and
mechanisms of action of the plant are unknown.
Andrew Sherratt and colleagues investigated the effects of
Nymphaea caerulea in two human volunteers in the 1998 television series
Sacred Weeds. It was the first known study and demonstration of the psychoactive effects of the plant in humans. since 1963. with photos of a real
Nymphaea caerulea posted on their social media as recent as 2019. Due to its colour, it was identified, in some beliefs, as having been the original container, in a similar manner to an
egg, of
Atum, and in similar beliefs Ra, both
solar deities. As such, its properties form the origin of the "lotus variant" of the
Ogdoad cosmogony. It was also the symbol of the Egyptian deity
Nefertem. Often depicted in ancient art and found in tombs—including the petals discovered in King
Tutankhamun's burial chamber in 1922—it held a sacred role in religious rituals. Notably featured in the Festival of Drunkenness honoring
Hathor, goddess of love and
fertility, the flower was believed to induce visions when soaked in wine, possibly used in ecstatic or hallucinogenic rites. Native to the
Nile River, the species has become rare due to ecological changes, particularly following the construction of the Aswan Dam, and is now considered threatened.
Toxicity and health effects While unregulated in the
United States and sold as a
dietary supplement, consumption of
Nymphaea caerulea can cause toxic effects. Modern use often involves drinking infusions (
water or
alcohol based) made from the plant material or inhaling extracts using
electronic cigarettes (vaping). With the latter being a more rapid and efficient method, delivering higher effective doses to the body and increasing the potential for toxicity. A 2021 case series described five patients who presented to an emergency department with altered mental status after consuming blue lotus. Symptoms included sedation, disorientation, and perceptual disturbances. Other reported effects were
tachycardia,
anxiety, and, in one case, a persistent erection (
priapism). All patients in the series recovered with
supportive care, such as
intravenous fluids and
observation, without needing
sedating medications. The psychoactive symptoms typically resolved within 3 to 4 hours. Currently, standard
urine drug screens do not detect blue lotus, complicating the diagnosis. ==Legal issues==