💊 Depression & Dementia Research and Mushroom Supplement Quality Guide

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🍿 | The most popular stories from 2024

• 🔮 | Predictions for 2025

• 🛒 | What to look for in mushroom products

Hi Shroomer. This is the 100th issue! How fitting that it falls on the last Friday of 2024. Thank you for reading every week. I’m just so grateful for all of you.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The sang-huang mushroom 🧠 Hispolon, a compound from sang-huang mushrooms (Phellinus linteus), reduces harmful amyloid-beta buildup, boosts antioxidants, improves memory in mice, and could address Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline.

Metabolic health 🪸 Pleurotus ferulae water extract (PWE) significantly reduced weight gain, fat accumulation, and cholesterol levels in high-fat-diet-fed mice.

Antioxidant overdrive 🔌 An extract from king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) supercharged lignin, a natural polymer, turning it into a powerful antioxidant and boosting its ability to fight free radials by over 50%.

Bioactive breakdown 🧬 Scientists uncovered the first steps of how lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) produces meroterpenoids—bioactive compounds linked to brain health. This breakthrough enables us to scale production for potential treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Chronic pain relief 🛡️ Psilocybin shows potential for managing chronic pain by targeting serotonin receptors to reduce pain perception.

Empathy shift 🌻 Psilocybin therapy (0.215mg/kg) improved patients' emotional empathy for 2+ weeks, particularly increasing empathy for positive emotions by 1.25 points while the typical negative bias (1.2x stronger responses to negative vs positive stimuli) remained unchanged.

Treasure what you measure 📊 Analyzing nearly 1,000 supervised psychedelic sessions, researchers identified eight distinct aspects of consciousness changes: Vision, Meaningfulness, Euphoria, Dysphoria, Auditory/Minor Senses, Liking, Somaesthesia, and Volition. This improved assessment tool helps distinguish how different substances affect the mind, with classic psychedelics uniquely boosting experiences of meaning and insight compared to other drugs.

Hidden in plain sight 🔬 Scientists identified Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, a new psychedelic mushroom species that looks identical to known varieties but genetically split from them 1.5 million years ago. The species was found through collaborative research across Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the US.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Health innovations 🧵 Scientists created nanofiber mats with antibacterial properties by combining oyster mushroom powder with a polymer, opening doors for advanced medical uses like wound dressings.

Nature’s cleanup crew 🗑️ Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a wood-decay fungus, turns toxic wood preservatives into harmless compounds, offering a natural solution for treating contaminated building materials and railway ties that would otherwise pollute soil and water.

Mycology curriculum 📖 A team of educators developed lesson plans to teach high school students about wild mushrooms - covering everything from safely identifying edible species to understanding how fungi help keep our forests healthy. The program even helps students earn official mushroom foraging certifications, turning fungi knowledge into real-world skills.

GROWING & GOURMET

Cucumbers’ best friends 🌱 Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae boosted cucumber growth, improved seed germination by 86%, and cut Rhizoctonia solani disease severity by 90%.

Mind your beeswax 🐝 Beeswax waste from beekeeping, typically discarded or burned, proved to be an effective growth supplement for oyster mushrooms - boosting both yields and nutritional content.

Light-sensing mushroom mutations 🔵 Scientists found that tweaking a mushroom's light receptor genes (FfCry) changed how it grows - resulting in shorter stems and smaller caps. When they modified this gene in winter mushroonms (Flammulina filiformis), it led to stunted growth by affecting how the mushroom builds its cell walls and processes nutrients.

2024 RECAP

Here are the 10 most-clicked stories from the year.

1. Depression & dementia link 🚩 People with depression are 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia, suggesting depression may worsen neurodegenerative processes. Psilocybin enhances neuroplasticity, reduces brain inflammation, and stimulates new neuron growth, offering potential protection against cognitive decline. Early research shows promise for delaying dementia with psilocybin-based therapies.

2. Ladies, listen up 📣 A 30-day supplementation with 1g of reishi (Ganoderma lucidim) significantly improved psychological and physiological parameters in sedentary female college students. The GL1000mg group showed significant improvements in anxiety, depression, positive well-being, vitality, heart rate, maximal oxygen consumption, physical work capacity, and right-hand grip strength compared to placebo.

3. Festival recap 🎪 This October, we joined Bala Yeruva and the team at the first-ever Montreal Mushroom Festival to witness their stunning vision come to life. The space was gorgeous, the crowd engaged, and the festival was a true celebration of fungi, connection, and community. I’m still thinking about the turkey tail centerpiece.

4. Psilocybin & Long COVID relief 🧠 A new case study suggests psilocybin and MDMA may help alleviate neurological and mental health symptoms of Long COVID, such as anxiety and depression. Psychedelics’ ability to create new neural pathways and reduce inflammation shows potential, but broader research is needed. With no current catch-all treatment for Long COVID, this finding sparks hope for future therapeutic options.

5. The first 🥇 Spiritus Oregon became the first legal psilocybin edible company in the U.S. Operating under the Horizon Edibles brand, the Milwaukie-based company produces precisely dosed dark chocolates.

6. Festival recap 🎪 Check out our recap of MycoFest, which is a great example of what to expect from a mushroom festival near you. We have so much gratitude to William Padilla-Brown, MycoSymbiotics, and everyone who was gracious enough to chat with us about the festival’s history.

7. Potent meditation 🧘 Fire Kasina advanced meditation can produce profound experiences like those induced by high doses of psychedelics and near-death experiences. A pilot study reveals that participants, through sessions lasting up to 14 hours daily, reported mystical experiences comparable in intensity to psilocybin and LSD, with MEQ scores averaging 85%.

8. Flesh of the gods ⚡️ From the sacred Teonanácatl of the Aztecs to the Fly Agaric in Siberian shamanism, mushrooms have shaped spiritual practices across cultures and centuries. They’ve been revered for divine communication, ceremonial healing, and even mythical folklore like fairy circles.

9. Carnivorous fungi frenzy 🥩 While most fungi decompose decaying matter, some species actively hunt live prey like nematodes and protozoa. These fungi secrete enzymes and use hyphae to trap and digest organisms, thriving in nutrient-poor environments. With over 200 species, including Cordyceps and oyster mushrooms, carnivorous fungi showcase the wild adaptability of the fungal world.

10. A new start 💼 MycoWorks has positions open around the world.

MUSHROOMS IN 2025

Mushrooms are global. The studies summarized in this newsletter every week are from research teams around the world, from Singapore to Sweden. My biggest hope for fungi in 2025 is that we let the kingdom lead the way into a cooperative worldview that recognizes the connection between our traditions, and prioritizes community over industry.

That said, here are my mushroom predictions.

1. More, more, more 🍄 Farmer’s markets around the US will see a growth in mushroom vendors as folks start growing operations for food sovereignty and grassroots community.

2. Gourmet mushrooms gain a foothold 🔪 Decadent gourmet varieties like maitake, lion's mane, and morels will grace more menus as chefs increasingly connect with home growers and local foragers.

3. Mushroom wellness scandals 🔍 Independent journalism will expose false claims, unethical sourcing, and exploitative practices behind the scenes of some of the most recognized US mushroom brands.

4. Growth risks 🚨 The FDA will continue to crack down on psychoactive compounds in mushroom products long before it addresses the call to officially distinguish between fruiting body and mycelium-based products.

5. Equity gaps ⚖️ The divide between those who can pay to access psilocybin legally, whether through therapy or travel to international retreats, will get bigger as the rhetoric of “cultural revolution” persists. May we all do our best to remember and maintain the integrity of psilocybin’s sacred use around the world since time immemorial.

KNOW YOUR EXTRACTS

The “New Year, New You” marketing has already started. Here’s what to look for if you’re going to try new mushroom brands this year. Check out Part 1 on extraction methods and Part 2 on extraction ratios.

1. Detailed sourcing information 🌍 Look for products that specify not just where their mushrooms are grown (e.g., the US, China, or Finland) but also the growing conditions. Organically grown mushrooms or those cultivated on natural substrates (like wood or sawdust) are better than those grown on grains, which can dilute the final product.

2. Fruiting body vs. mycelium debate 🍄 If you're serious about potency, favor supplements made from the fruiting body (the actual mushroom). Mycelium-based products often include filler from the growing medium (e.g., grain or rice), which lowers the concentration of beneficial compounds. Some mycelium products may be high-quality if they’re thoroughly tested and grown without fillers. Look for transparency from the company.

3. Verified active compounds 📊 High-quality mushroom supplements will list the levels of active compounds like beta-glucans (immune support) or hericenones (brain health). These are the nutrients that give mushrooms their health benefits. If a product only lists "polysaccharides," that’s too vague and can include inactive starches.

4. Third-party testing ✅ Lab testing for contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticides, or mold) and potency is essential. Look for brands that publish Certificates of Analysis (COAs), most will provide this upon request. It’s a red flag if they don’t.

5. Clear labeling & ratios ⚖️ Check if the product mentions the concentration ratio, like 10:1 or 15:1. If the product uses blends, make sure they list how much of each mushroom is included—some blends dilute key mushrooms with less effective ones.

MUSH MORE

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