Tremella vs. Diabetes, Montréal Mushroom Festival, and Fungal Solar Cells ⚡️

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 1️⃣ Cordyceps keeps the gut in check

• 2️⃣ Psilocybin for opioid addiction

• 3️⃣ Oysters for solar panels

Hi Shroomer. If you or a loved one suffers from diabetes, this issue has three pivotal studies with medicinal mushrooms.

—Shannon Ratliff

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Diet-induced diabetes 🥫 Polysaccharides from tremella (Tremella fuciformis) (TPs) showed strong anti-diabetic effects in mice with diet-induced diabetes in a new study. The mushroom compounds helped restore gut microbiome balance by increasing beneficial bacteria like Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium.

Fermented insects 🐜 Research shows that edible insects fermented with cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) could help fight diabetes by promoting glucose absorption. The study examined six edible insects including silkworms and crickets, finding that the fermentation process increased protein content while decreasing carbohydrates.

Australian reishi 🇦🇺 Research analyzing 22 Australian reishi (Ganoderma) specimens found significant medicinal compounds. One specimen (G8) contained ganoderic acid A and had the strongest anticancer properties. The mushrooms contained high levels of beta-glucans (β-glucans) (19.5-43.5%), which boost immunity, and showed potent antioxidant effects in lab tests.

Nutritional and sustainable ♻️ A review of research shows common edible mushrooms could be key to healthier global diets due to their unique nutritional profile and sustainability. Studies found mushroom consumption was linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in Korea and lower all-cause mortality in US and China. Put simply, they provide critical nutrients, quality protein, and bioactive compounds like ergothioneine and β-glucans that may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. They can be grown indoors year-round with minimal resources, making them valuable for low-income countries and climate-resilient food security.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Breakthrough for addiction 🍄 A new clinical trial by Imperial College London will explore whether psilocybin therapy could prevent relapse in opioid addiction. The landmark UK study will test if psilocybin, combined with psychological support, can help recently detoxed patients stay clean. With current relapse rates as high as 90% within a year of detox, researchers aim to combat the global opioid crisis that contributes to nearly 500,000 deaths annually.

It means something ⚡️ A new study found that meaningful psychedelic experiences can enhance psychological flexibility primarily through increased acceptance, rather than frequency of use. Analysis of 629 participants showed that psychological insights during psychedelic sessions were strongly linked to greater acceptance of thoughts and emotions, which in turn predicted improved mental wellbeing. The research suggests it's the quality of the psychedelic experience, not quantity, that promotes these mental health benefits.

Aesthetically speaking ✨ A new study found that the aesthetic quality of psychedelic experiences significantly predicts positive therapeutic outcomes. Among 96 participants, aesthetically pleasing experiences were linked to greater emotional breakthroughs, psychological insight, and positive behavior changes. Higher aesthetic quality also predicted reduced anxiety, depression and improved quality of life, while being inversely related to fear and paranoia.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Solar cell innovation ☀️ A new study found that dyes from yellow and pink oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) could be used to create more sustainable dye-sensitized solar cells. Lab tests showed the freeze-dried mushroom dyes produced favorable energy bandgaps (1.7-2.2 eV) and achieved a voltage output of 0.499V with current density of 0.397 mA/cm².

Aquaculture revolution 🌊 A new comprehensive review found that fungi and their metabolites could transform multiple aspects of aquaculture sustainability. The study showed fungi can: improve feed quality by reducing anti-nutritional factors by up to 94%, enhance aquafeed buoyancy with 80% flotation rates, boost fish immunity and disease resistance, serve as natural pigments for fish coloration, and help clean wastewater through bioremediation.

Pattern recognition 🧠 The fungus Phanerochaete velutina can "recognize" different spatial arrangements of wood resources, demonstrating a form of primitive intelligence. In lab tests, the fungus formed different network patterns and showed varying decay activities based on whether wood blocks were arranged in a circle or cross pattern. The fungal networks decomposed wood up to 65.5% faster when blocks were arranged in circles versus crosses, suggesting fungi may possess a basic form of spatial recognition similar to how neural networks process visual patterns. "They have memories, they learn, and they can make decisions. Quite frankly, the differences in how they solve problems compared to humans is mind-blowing,” Yu Fukasawa, one of the researchers, noted.

GROWING & GOURMET

I just got back from a trip that took me up to Montréal and home to Texas by way of family in Kentucky. The leaves changing inspired these cool-weather picks since it’s still in the upper 80s here in Texas.

1. 🫚 Lion’s Mane Immunity Tonic

2. 🧄 Garlic-Infused Chestnut Mushrooms

3. 🥣 Vegan Hungarian Mushroom Soup

4. 🥒 Pickled Chestnut Mushrooms

5. 🥧 Mushroom Potpie

6. 🥬 Crispy Baked Enoki Mushrooms

7. 🫙 Wild Mushroom Conserve

8. 🍕 Giant Puffball Pizza Crust

9. 🍞 Swedish Vegan Creamed Chanterelles Toast

10. 🍮 Candy Cap Creme Caramels

FESTIVAL RECAP

The 1st Montréal Mushroom Festival

Founder Bala Yeruva has a lot to be proud of with Montréal’s first mushroom festival. The two-day event was thoughtful in its educational and entertainment choices and cohesive in its flow, allowing people to wander inside to learn more. The free Mushroom Bazaar had a lot of passersby and it was pretty fun to see a mushroom festival held in an urban space that was transformed into the natural world.

Takeaways

1. Listen to learn 🎤 The flow of the space made the discussions a focal point of the daytime program. The discussions were well-attended and focused, with more crowd engagement than I usually see. Some mushroom festivals can be a shoppers’ dream with so many vendors, but the attentive crowd made the lectures and panel discussions more thoughtful.

2. Functional mushrooms for epilepsy 💡 I finally had the absolute pleasure of meeting Sarah-Kate Boylan of Lily’s Lighthouse in person after being in each other’s orbits for the last few years. Her talk on how medicinal mushrooms saved her daughter Lily’s life, with her “thriving not surviving,” and the mission of Lily’s Lighthouse to make mushrooms a frontline therapy for epilepsy. Next week, I’ll share more as November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.

3. Canada’s role in global psychedelics 🌎️ It’s easy to get lost in the funnel of US politics, but hearing the panel of The Future of Psychedelics from a Canadian lens with Jay Katz, Ona Praderas, Julie Richard, and moderated by Sacha Drouin, made me consider that rarely do we discuss international policy. Change starts at home, of course, but psychedelics are already an international trade by nature, with many rooted ancestrally in South America, for example. I’d love to see more global discussions on reconciling capitalism with psilocybin in the future, much like Colombia is reckoning with right now.

4. All in the details 🎵 The live music and DJ sets were a fitting and fun touch to cap off the days, and what I especially loved was Musical Storytelling with Reg Ina on Friday and the Sonic Odyssey with Opale Ashley ft. Just Sky & MIRO on Saturday. Reg Ina’s story of symbiosis spoke to the larger vibes of the festival, and the meditative nature of the mushroom music sonic odyssey was a beautiful, connected way to sit with everyone and reflect.

5. Aesthetics A+ 🛋️ The textural woodland design, foraged by designer Georgia Leigh over three to four months leading up to the festival, was an anchoring calm that transformed a cavernous space into serene sections without closing off any single area. The Turkey Tail centerpiece was incredible. Then it lit up, and it was awesome.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly festival highlights and vendor spotlights starting next week. We've got a ton of content to share that'll help you pick and plan your must-visit mushroom festivals for next year.

FORAGED FINDS

🎡 The San Francisco Ferry Mushroom Festival

The San Francisco Ferry Mushroom Festival runs from now until Saturday, October 27. Catch medicinal mushroom master Christopher Hobbs and modern mushroom disciple, Dr. Gordon Walker, speaking on Saturday, October 26.

Use code SHROOM24 for 15% off tickets to the delectable Mushroom Masquerade where costumes are encouraged.

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