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IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🦴 | Stronger bones

• ✨ | Psilocybin & the clergy

• 🧺 | Compostable packaging

Hi Shroomers. It’s Friday the 13th, a day long tied to mystery, transformation, and the unseen. Seems fitting, since mushrooms are masters of the hidden world: regenerating bones, replacing plastic, and reshaping the way we think and heal. From psilocybin and spirituality to shiitake peptides, this week’s roundup is all about what thrives in the dark. I’ll be at Psychedelic Science next week—if you spot me, come say hi!

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Immunity duo 🧪 White button (Agaricus bisporus) and turkey tail (Coriolus versicolor) extracts reduced key inflammatory markers (IL-1β and IL-6) in lab-grown liver cells and boosted immune antibody (IgA) secretion in plasma cells. The white button extract worked especially well, activating immune pathways while lowering inflammation.

Brain boost 🧠 Elm oyster mushroom (Hypsizygus ulmarius) polysaccharides reversed signs of aging in mice by improving memory, reducing oxidative stress, and restoring mitochondrial function. Mice given daily doses of the extract had stronger antioxidant defenses, better cognitive performance, and improved brain enzyme activity.

Stronger bones 🦴 Researchers isolated a calcium-binding peptide from shiitake (Lentinula edodes) that significantly improved calcium absorption, even better than common casein supplements. The peptide-chelate (LEVEIHA-Ca) stayed stable through heat and digestion, retaining 87% of its calcium.

Golden oyster glow ✨ Polysaccharides from golden oyster mushroom (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) protected zebrafish skin from UVB damage by boosting antioxidant defenses, preventing cell death, and supporting collagen production. The compound, PCP-2, also reduced pigmentation and signs of aging.

Lower blood pressure 💓 Compounds isolated from maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms showed strong blood pressure–lowering effects by blocking ACE, a key enzyme involved in hypertension.

Desert mushrooms deliver 🌵 Wild desert mushrooms like desert shaggy mane (Podaxis pistillaris) and white button (Agaricus bisporus) were found to be rich in protein, fiber, essential minerals, and powerful antioxidants. These nutrient-dense fungi showed strong free radical scavenging abilities, highlighting their value as both food and functional supplements, especially in regions with limited agricultural diversity.

Defend muscles 🏋️‍♂️ Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) protected rats from muscle loss under extreme low-oxygen conditions, similar to high-altitude stress, by restoring redox balance, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting muscle growth pathways. The extract reversed damage, boosted muscle mass, and stabilized key proteins involved in muscle atrophy, showing serious promise for recovery, adaptation, and endurance.

FORAGED FIND

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PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Rewiring for depression 🌀 This comprehensive review unpacks how psychedelics like psilocybin relieve depression by rewiring the brain's serotonin systems, enhancing neuroplasticity, and promoting emotional breakthroughs through altered states of consciousness. The paper connects molecular effects to lasting shifts in meaning-making, offering clarity on why psychedelic therapy may be so effective for treatment-resistant depression.

The clergy ✨ Clergy from diverse religious traditions reported lasting increases in spiritual awareness, connection, and compassion after a high-dose psilocybin experience. The study found that over 90% rated it among the most meaningful experiences of their lives, with effects persisting 6–14 months later—deepening faith, enhancing rituals, and reducing fear of death.

“Wood-lover paralysis” warning ⚠️ Some wood-loving psilocybin mushrooms like Psilocybe azurescens and Psilocybe cyanescens have been linked to a rare but temporary paralysis reported by users. Researchers suspect neurotoxic compounds—possibly β-carbolines or unknown fungal metabolites—may cause the muscle immobility. While symptoms resolve within 24 hours, this is a crucial safety note for foragers and new psychonauts.

Trauma healing 💝 This clinical analysis reveals how psilocybin can help patients with PTSD disrupt rigid, self-blaming narratives and create space for new meaning-making. Rather than erasing traumatic memories, the psychedelic experience fosters emotional clarity, recontextualization, and deeper compassion, key elements in long-term healing and identity reconstruction.

Veterans 12 months later🎖️ One high-dose psilocybin session helped veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression experience lasting relief for up to a year. At 6 months, 80% of participants still met the criteria for clinical response and 50% for remission; by 12 months, 40% maintained response and 30% remission. This marks the first study to show long-term outcomes of psilocybin in U.S. military veterans, a group underserved by current antidepressant options.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

New desert mushroom 🌾 A new medicinal mushroom species, Phellorinia pakistanica, was discovered in Pakistan’s arid Mianwali region. Known locally as Khumbi, this desert-dwelling fungus is traditionally used as food, a natural bandage for broken bones, and a remedy for nutritional deficiencies. Lab tests also revealed strong antimicrobial properties, underscoring its potential for future medical and ecological research.

Compostable packaging 🧺 White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) have been transformed into biodegradable plastic alternatives using their natural chitosan. This mushroom-derived material was blended with essential oils and tested as packaging film. The resulting biofilms showed strong antioxidant activity, effective antimicrobial properties, and broke down safely in soil within 15 days, outperforming many petroleum-based plastics and offering a sustainable packaging solution for food and beyond.

Whiskey waste 🥃 Mycelium from reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mushrooms was successfully grown on spent bourbon stillage, a major byproduct of whiskey production, turning distillery waste into biodegradable biomaterials. These mycelium composites showed strong structural integrity, flame resistance, and minimal thermal conductivity, making them suitable for use in insulation and sustainable construction.

Forever chemicals 🧃 Wood-decomposing fungi like turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) have shown early promise in breaking down toxic PFAS compounds, also known as “forever chemicals.” These fungi triggered defluorination activity when exposed to certain perfluorinated carboxylic acids, cleaving carbon–fluorine bonds once thought nearly unbreakable. While legacy PFAS like PFOA and PFOS proved more resistant, the fungi successfully degraded newer PFAS with electron-attracting alkenyl groups, offering a potential breakthrough in remediating some of the planet’s most persistent pollutants.

GROWING & GOURMET

Flavored by flowers 🌹 Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) grown on leftover fruit pulp from the chestnut rose (Rosa roxburghii) produced better yield, aroma, and taste. Researchers optimized a substrate mix using this agricultural waste and found it significantly boosted the mushrooms’ umami flavor while increasing bioactive compounds. This approach not only enhances the culinary quality of shiitake, but also offers a sustainable reuse method for fruit-processing byproducts.

Soup science 🍲 The way you cut shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) before boiling has a major impact on both flavor and nutrition. Sliced mushrooms released the most nutrients quickly, making for a rich, umami broth early on. But cubed mushrooms delivered the thickest, most nutrient-dense soup after longer cooking, while whole mushrooms held onto their nutrients better.

MUSH MORE

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