Psilocybin Cuts Drinking by 40%

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 💫 | Antioxidant power

• 🇺🇸 | State mushrooms

• 🍔 | Mushroom chicken burgers

Hi Shroomer. Brain health, longevity, and disease prevention—mushrooms are showing real promise in the fight against dementia this week.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Heart health 🫀 Oyster mushroom extract (Pleurotus ostreatus) lowered triglycerides by 15% and cholesterol by 25% in sugar-fed rats while reducing visceral fat—showing promise for managing high cholesterol.

Gut health 👅 Fermented king oyster mushroom extract (Pleurotus eryngii) strengthened the gut barrier by restoring key proteins by 45-60% and reducing inflammation while balancing immune signals.

Anti-viral 🔬 Oyster mushrooms helped boost immune function and reduce viral load in rats infected with the Sendai virus. The highest mushroom dose cut viral load by over 80%. It also improved blood markers and reduced organ damage.

Reducing levels 🩸 Black Ganoderma mushroom extracts helped lower blood sugar, while red Ganoderma cap extracts fought harmful microbes. 

Brain shield 🧠 Mushroom-derived polysaccharides and polyphenols combat Alzheimer’s by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial function, and modulating the PKC/MAPK pathway, which could slow disease progression.

Peptide power 💪 Enzyme-treated oyster mushrooms create antioxidant peptides that fight aging and disease—growing even stronger after digestion.

Oyster magic 🦪 Oyster mushrooms boast 15-30% protein, 43-60% carbohydrates, and just 1.2% fat, plus antioxidants like ergothioneine and flavonoids that fight oxidative stress. Freeze-drying best preserves their bioactive compounds.

Safe cancer treatment 🥼 Ganoderma applanatum extract effectively targets liver cancer cells (HepG2) with significant cytotoxicity. The extract is well-tolerated, maintaining normal liver architecture up to doses of 1000 mg/ml.

FORAGED FINDS

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PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Alcohol Use Disorder relief 🍻 Clinical trials show psilocybin significantly reduces Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) symptoms, cutting drinking days by 40% compared to control groups.

Reduce cravings 🍷 A systematic review of 31 studies with 2,639 participants found that psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD reduce cravings for substances such as alcohol and opioids by about 40%.

Alcohol recovery 🍾 In a 36-week trial, psilocybin nearly doubled alcohol abstinence rates (47.9% vs. 24.4% with placebo) and cut heavy drinking days significantly—33.3% had none from weeks 5 to 36, compared to 11.1% in the placebo group.

Chronic pain 👁️ A survey of 466 adults found that 86.3% reduced or stopped substances like alcohol (71.1%) and prescription opioids (64.1%) after using psychedelics for pain. Psilocybin was the most effective for both pain relief and mental health support.

Psychedelics and autism 🫂 A study of 233 autistic adults found that over 80% reported lasting mental health benefits after using psychedelics, including reduced distress (80%), lower social anxiety (78%), and increased social engagement (70%). However, 20% had distressing effects.

Women’s health 🌿 Psilocybin may help with PMDD, postpartum depression, menopause symptoms, and chronic pain by interacting with serotonin and estrogen. A clinical trial is now testing a psilocybin-like compound for postpartum depression.

Brain healing 🤕 Psilocybin improved brain function by reducing swelling, boosting neuroplasticity, and enhancing brain cell survival—showing promise for treating head injuries.

Long COVID 🫁 Psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT may help with Long COVID by restoring serotonin levels, reducing inflammation, and enhancing neuroplasticity. PCS is linked to serotonin depletion from gut issues and platelet hyperactivation, and psychedelics may improve brain fog, fatigue, and neurological symptoms by modulating the gut-brain axis.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Morel hunter alert 🔥 Modern Forager’s burn morel maps are now GeoForager, a mobile-friendly platform launching today. Get real-time burn maps, fire ratings, snowpack, and precipitation data on any device with offline maps dropping soon.

Protecting apple roots 🍎 Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) help apple rootstocks fight cadmium pollution by lowering metal buildup and improving nutrient uptake, helping crops thrive in polluted soils.

Tomatoes tolerate toxins 🍅 Endophytic fungi Fusarium proliferatum SL3 and Aspergillus terreus MGRF2 help tomatoes tolerate nickel and cadmium contamination by lowering metal buildup. Fungal-treated plants grew longer roots, had more chlorophyll, and boosted antioxidant defenses.

Fire refugia 🔥 Unburned patches in wildfire zones help preserve microbial diversity, with refugia soils showing 19% more bacterial richness and 31% more fungal species after nine years.

Microplastic pollution 🥣 AMF help wetlands filter pollutants, boosting nitrogen removal by 45.7% and phosphate removal by 25.3% in microplastic-contaminated areas.

Colorado state mushroom 🗻 Lawmakers are backing HB 1091 to make Agaricus julius, the Emperor Mushroom, Colorado’s official state fungus. If passed, Colorado will be the eighth state to declare a state mushroom and the first to choose an Agaricus species.

Oklahoma state mushroom 🌾 A petition to name the morel (Morchella americana) Oklahoma’s state mushroom is live. Morel foraging generates over $100,000 annually, thriving in the state’s diverse eco-regions.

GROWING & GOURMET

Mushrooms in chicken burgers 🍔 Swapping 2.5–10% of chicken with oyster mushroom powder made burgers juicier, boosted fiber and antioxidants, and improved texture. The 2.5–5% blend had the best balance of softness and firmness.

Protein boosts 🍪 Replacing part of wheat flour with oyster mushroom powder doubled protein and added fiber to biscuits. A 20% blend had the best taste and texture, staying fresh for two months.

Mycelia meat 🥩 Pleurotus mycelia offer a high-protein, fiber-rich alternative for hybrid meat, using 90% less land and water while cutting CO₂ emissions by 80%.

MUSHROOMS & DEMENTIA

New research shows that dementia cases in the U.S. are set to double by 2060, with a 42% lifetime risk after age 55. Eating mushrooms twice a week cuts mild cognitive impairment risk by 50%. Lion’s mane stimulates brain repair, while reishi reduces Alzheimer’s-linked plaques. Even novel fungi, like Daldinia eschscholtzii and Thelephora aurantiotincta, outperform pharmaceuticals against neurodegeneration. Medicinal mushrooms’ integration into preventive care is an imperative we can no longer afford to ignore.

MUSH MORE

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