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  • 🫁 Fungi Fight TB, 🐜 Tick Control, and 🔥 10 Summer Recipes

🫁 Fungi Fight TB, 🐜 Tick Control, and 🔥 10 Summer Recipes

Author

Shannon Ratliff
July 19, 2024

In partnership with

IN SPORES WE TRUST

1️⃣ A new fungal pathogen emerges

2️⃣ Lyme disease management

3️⃣ Mexico’s push to legalize magic mushrooms

Hi Shroomer.Every week,mushrooms reveal their ability to heal our bodies and environments. From tuberculosis to Lyme disease, fungi are the kingdom we’re lucky to live amongst.

Shannon Ratliff, Co-Founder

EYE CANDY

Do what makes you bloom 🎨Following Natalie’s journey back to painting has been full of natural landscapes, but the mushroom direction she’s going lately is even more satisfying to watch. A reminder to reconnect with your inner child more often.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Marine fungi vs. TB🦠 Certain marine fungi have been found to combat the bacteria responsible for tuberculuosis (TB). This is a huge step forward in combating this progressive, chronic illness because Mycobacterium, the bacteria that causes it, can become dormant and resistant to current medications. Two fungi, Aspergillus ostianus and Aspergillus flavus, showed strong anti-mycobacterial activity, even under low-oxygen conditions that mimic dormancy.

Heart helper💗 The wild mushroom Astraeus hygrometricus showed promising results in improving cholesterol levels and reducing oxidative stress. In a study with rats on a high-fat diet, this mushroom extract lowered bad cholesterol (LDL) and increased good cholesterol (HDL), while improving insulin resistance. The findings suggest that the mushroom could be a natural remedy for managing heart health and diabetes in humans.

A fern’s fungal pharmacy 🌿 Ferns have been used in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia for centuries and researchers are now looking at the fungal endophytes found in them to help develop new medicines and support sustainable agriculture, potentially reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Fungal endophytes are fungi that live inside plant tissues and provide benefits like enhanced growth, stress resistance, and protection against pests and diseases.

New fungal threat🌡️ Scientists discovered a novel fungal pathogen in China, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, which infects humans and thrives at body temperature and shows resistance to common antifungal drugs. This yeast's rapid mutation at higher temperatures raises concerns about global warming driving the evolution of more dangerous fungal pathogens.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Siegel, J.S., Subramanian, S., Perry, D. et al. Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain. Nature (2024)

Behind closed eyes😌 Psilocybin was found to alter brain connectivity to create vivid, eyes-closed visual imagery. Researchers found that it enhances top-down feedback in the brain’s visual areas. This offers insight into how psychedelics impact perception and aligns with last week’s single case study of a woman with aphantasia who experienced vivid visualizations after taking psilocybin.

Your brain on psilocybin🧠 Researchers at Washington University scanned participants' brains before and after administering psilocybin, revealing a "wild neural storm" with significant brain activity changes, especially in areas involved in introspection and self-identity. Dr. Joshua Siegel explained, “The activity in these networks became much more disorganized, and boundaries between the networks essentially evaporated.” This desynchronization aligns with increased brain plasticity, potentially explaining why psilocybin can help with conditions like depression and addiction.

"For the first time, with a really high degree of detail, we're understanding which networks are changing, how intensely they're changing and what persists after the experience," says Dr. Petros Petridis of New York University's Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine. These studies also noted that the brain’s default mode network, typically active during daydreaming and self-reflection, experienced the greatest desynchronization, suggesting how psychedelics might aid in reshaping thought patterns and promoting mental health recovery.

ECOLOGY & CULTIVATION

Finally! New naming standards🌿 Botanists voted to remove over 200 plant names containing racial slurs by 2026. This decision, made at the International Botanical Congress in Madrid, ensures scientific names respect all cultures. The vote also led to creating a committee to prevent future offensive names, highlighting the ongoing effort for inclusivity in botanical sciences.

Kiwis and mushrooms 🥝 Intercropping kiwifruit with Agaricus blazei mushrooms boosted crop yield, soil health, and nutrient uptake. This sustainable practice reshaped the soil's bacterial community, enhancing microbial diversity and enzyme activity, which could make farming more productive.

Food waste to mushroom beds 🪵 Food waste was found to be efficiently recycled by using it as a medium for mushroom cultivation. Incorporating it into mushroom substrates not only boosts mushroom yield, but also enhances soil health when the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is used as an organic fertilizer. This not only reduces food waste, but also promotes sustainable agriculture by improving nutrient uptake and soil quality, making it a win-win for both farmers and the environment​

Holy bolete😲 Now that is one giant mushroom. Gotta love Reddit.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

With Lyme disease and tick populations on the rise, researchers at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada, are exploring the potential of a soil-dwelling fungus to help manage these threats. Clonostachys rosea, discovered by Luís Anholeto in the Annapolis Valley, shows promising results in killing ticks in lab tests. The research team hopes to use this fungus to develop a sustainable and eco-friendly way to manage tick populations to help areas heavily affected by Lyme disease.

  • The context: Lyme disease is caused by the transfer of bacteria from the bites of infected blacklegged and American dog ticks. Incidents of Lyme disease in Nova Scotia have significantly increased, with cases rising from 17 in 2009 to 830 in 2019. The infection rate of blacklegged ticks in some areas of the province has reached as high as 40%. The striking increase in Lyme disease cases is likely due to higher populations of ticks and longer active seasons caused by climate change.

  • A promising solution: Multiple species of fungi have shown promising results as natural pesticides that can specifically target pests without harming other organisms. These preliminary findings suggest Clonostachys rosea could be a highly effective tool in reducing tick populations because ticks tend to die quickly after coming in contact with the fungus.

  • Next steps: “I would say there is not a magic cure that will eliminate ticks at all,” explained Prof. Faraone. “But for sure we can use different little approaches that all together will make a difference.” Researchers received a grant to continue studying the efficacy of Clonostachys rosea for tick management. ➡️ Read more.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Almost 70 years ago, in the remote village of Huautla de Jiménez, María Sabina, a revered Mazatec poet and shaman, performed a sacred ceremony with American author and ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson. This intimate event marked the beginning of Western fascination with psilocybin mushrooms, sparking a complex relationship between traditional indigenous practices and modern interest in psychedelics. Today, Mexico is considering legalizing magic mushrooms for therapeutic use, aiming to balance modern medicine's benefits with respect for cultural heritage.

  • The context: María Sabina's sacred ceremony with R. Gordon Wasson introduced psilocybin mushrooms to the world, leading to their commercialization and commodification. Originally, these mushrooms were a divine gift used for spiritual purposes by the Mazatec community.

  • Current legislation: Mexico's proposed bill seeks to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for medical and therapeutic settings, beyond their traditional spiritual practices. Advocates argue this could provide crucial mental health support while respecting Indigenous cultural heritage and involving Indigenous communities in the regulatory process, ensuring they are compensated for their knowledge and cultural contributions.

  • Local perspectives: "The medicine is not protected now. It’s out of control," says Alejandrina Pedro Castañeda, a resident and practitioner. There is a need for a record acknowledging the Mazatecs as custodians of this sacred medicine. Some Indigenous leaders fear the commercialization of psilocybin could lead to the appropriation and dilution of sacred practices. There are also concerns about increased recreational use and its social impacts, potentially attracting tourists more interested in the psychedelic experience than its cultural significance. Local doctor Isaias Escudero Rodriguez worries that the mushrooms will "be taken like aspirin" and lose their spiritual significance if the bill passes. ➡️ Read more.

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