Paul Stamets on Natural Psilocybin, Long COVID & World's First Mycelium Earplugs

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🦠 | AHCC extract fights COVID symptoms

• 🌀 | Paul Stamets co-authors a paper on natural vs. synthetic psilocybin

• 🎧️ | The world’s first mycelium earplugs

Hi Shroomer. This week, I broke down the difference between AHCC extract and shiitake extract at the end of this email.

—Shannon Ratliff

GROW TO KNOW

Meet Michael Heim, co-founder of Mycolove Farm, an organic mushroom farm and extraction company in Colorado as he debuts the first-ever mobile mushroom lab.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Post-COVID recovery breakthrough 🌱 Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) is a proprietary mushroom extract derived from the mycelia of shiitake (Lentinula edodes). In a clinical study of 12 long COVID sufferers over 30 days, AHCC extract made a significant impact - reducing fatigue scores by 31% and improving cognitive function (brain fog) by 40%. The University of Kansas Medical Center research showed AHCC works at a cellular level, doubling mitochondrial energy production and normalizing immune cells without side effects and offers a natural, science-backed solution for post-COVID recovery.

Promising colon cancer results 🐁 A mixture of shiitake, reishi, maitake, turkey tail, brazilian, giant polypore, oyster, tinder, meshima, and matsutake mushrooms, known as Agarikon Plus, offers new hope for colorectcal cancer patients when combined with conventional chemotherapy. This 10-mushroom extract was combined with the chemotherapy drug 5-fluoroauracil and achieved a remarkable 87.5% survival rate in lab mice, particularly promising given that untreated control groups had a 0% survival rate. Source note: Two of the study authors work for Myko San.

Treating cirrohis with AHCC 🍄 AHCC also protects the liver in another groundbreaking study from Osaka Metropolitan University. It works in two clever ways: it boosts protective proteins (reducing oxidative stress by 40%) and decreases harmful scarring (lowering fibrotic markers by 30%). It’s like having both a shield and repair crew for your liver cells. Tests in both lab dishes and mice revealed AHCC helps break down existing scar tissue while preventing new damage without side effects.

Reishi vs. Salmonella 🍄 Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) grown in liquid fermentation - a more eco-friendly method than traditional cultivation - effectively fights dangerous bacteria. Testing mushrooms from both Malaysia and Serbia, researchers found that reishi’s ganoderic acid inhibited harmful bacteria at the same strength: stopping Enterococcus faecalis at 2% concentration and Salmonella enterica at 8% concentration.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

MA rejects psychedelics 🗳️ Masachusetts voters have decisively turned down Question 4, which would have made the state the third to establish regulated psychedelic services and decriminalize certain psychedelics including DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, and psilocybin. With over 50% of votes counted, the measure is failing by a significant margin (57.4% voting No).

Natural vs. synthetic psilocybin 🤔 In research co-authored by Paul Stamets, scientists found that while synthetic psilocybin helped end-of-life patients, 87.5% of participants favoring natural, whole mushrooms, describing them as more "alive" and "sacred," while synthetic forms felt "mechanical." While synthetic psilocybin remains valuable for standardized treatment, the research suggests both forms deserve clinical investigation, especially given indigenous healers' millennia of experience with whole mushrooms.

Support for psilocybin 🇺🇸 A nationally representative survey of 795 Americans revealed widespread bipartisan approval for psilocybin use in licensed settings, with 89% supporting it for mental health treatment and 85% for general well-being enhancement. The research, conducted by scientists from Oxford, Yale, and Johns Hopkins Universities, found that while both liberals (91%) and conservatives (86%) strongly supported medical use, approval for wellness purposes was slightly lower but still high (liberals 89%, conservatives 78%).

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

For your ears 👂️ San Francisco startup GOB launched the world's first mycelium earplugs. Developed with Ecovative using their AirMycelium technology, these USDA Certified Biobased earplugs could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 418 million pounds annually if adopted industry-wide. The Starter Pack (above) is $9.95 for 4 pairs.

Mushroom waste to clean water 🍄 Leftover mushroom growing material was transformed into a powerful water filter by converting it to biochar and adding nano-sized iron sulfide particles. The enhanced material removed toxic chromium from water 3 times better than regular biochar alone (99.57 mg/g vs 26.36 mg/g), stayed effective for 3 months, and when tested on real industrial wastewater, successfully cleaned up chromium pollution.

Plant-microbe teamwork 🌱 Scientists analyzed 158 studies to understand how two beneficial soil microbes (mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia bacteria) help legume plants grow under harsh conditions. When used together, these microbes significantly boosted plant growth, nutrient uptake and crop yields. However, their teamwork wasn't as effective under stressful conditions like drought or salty soil.

Financial empowerment 🧺 Indonesian researchers helped a women's farming group in Kondang Jaya village (home to 1,538 families) transform their oyster mushroom crops into profitable products. The 20-member housewives' group saw a >85% success rate in skill improvement by selling fresh mushrooms and creating products like mushroom chips and nuggets. This is huge because oyster mushrooms contain 19-35% protein (higher than rice at 7.38% and wheat at 13.2%), offering an important food security solution for this urban-edge community facing declining agricultural land.

Healthy tomatoes 🍅 Nine strains of beneficial soil microbes and two microbial combinations were tested in commercial tomato greenhouses to find sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides. The fungi (particularly Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 and Funneliformis mosseae) proved most effective, increasing marketable tomato yields by 12-15% while reducing damage from the destructive leaf-mining pest Tuta absoluta by up to 90%.

GROWING & GOURMET

Mushrooms meet kefir 🥛 Scientists have found that combining dried white button mushroom powder (Agaricus bisporus) and fermented kefir milk at 5% each creates a powerful health boost. In lab studies, this natural combo lowered blood sugar by 33%, boosted good cholesterol by 240%, and helped beneficial gut bacteria thrive (up by 96%) while reducing harmful bacteria (down by 89%). The key was the equal 5%/5% mix - using less (2.5%) or more (10%) mushroom powder wasn't as effective. While more research is needed in humans, pairing these everyday ingredients in the right amounts could be a simple, natural way to support heart and gut health.

Salty and shiitake in your kitchen 🧂 Shiitake mushrooms produce an enzyme that gets supercharged by salt, creating more savory umami flavor. The enzyme glutaminase becomes up to 32 times more active when salt is present, converting an amino acid called glutamine into the molecule responsible for umami taste at normal cooking salt levels (1-2%). The stem of the mushroom showed even higher activity than the cap and when researchers combined shiitake with garlic (which is rich in glutamine), it produced 18 times more glutamic acid than shiitake alone. This natural method could help reduce the need for artificial flavor additives.

Brewery waste gets shroomy 🍺 Brazilian researchers developed a two-step solution: using brewery waste mixed with banana leaves (1:1) to first grow protein-rich mushrooms (30.9% protein), then transforming the leftover material into biodegradable packaging. This solution is especially good for Brazil, the world's third-largest beer producer.

MUSHROOM SUPPLEMENTS

Medicinal Mushroom 101: AHCC vs. Shiitake

AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) and shiitake mushroom extract powder are related but different. AHCC is a concentrated supplement designed for targeted immune support, while shiitake extract is a general health supplement and food ingredient. Here’s a quick breakdown:

EPILEPSY AWARENESS

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting Lily’s Lighthouse. Each donation helps fund research on using lion’s mane and reishi as an epilepsy therapeutic—a condition more common than red hair. Support Lily’s Lighthouse.

SHROOM PICK

When it comes to mushroom coffee, Everyday Dose is my go-to. With chaga and lion’s mane, it adds a quick adaptogenic punch to my morning coffee when I don’t feel like mixing up mushroom powder. I really love that it’s 80% less caffeine than a standard cup. Try 30 servings for $27 on a special deal just for Shroomers.

MUSH MORE

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