💊 Psilocybin Microdosing Myths, Mood-Boosting Mushrooms, and Healthier Chocolate

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🥤 | Smoothie upgrade

• 💊 | Microdosing reality check

• 🍫 | Healthier chocolate

Hi Shroomers! I The theme of this issue is, “Why not?” There are three studies here that indicate that even a small serving of mushroom powder will boost the nutritional benefits of chocolate, smoothies, and noodles. So if you’re looking at jars of mushroom powder, start adding them into all of your favorite dishes from here on out.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Mane power 🦁 Polysaccharides from lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) support immunity, gut health, and antioxidant protection, but their benefits depend on how they’re extracted and shaped. Different methods create different sizes and structures of these natural sugars, and the body reacts to each type differently. Larger, branched polysaccharides are better at activating immune defenses, while smaller ones are stronger at reducing oxidative stress and protecting cells. These structural differences also influence how well lion’s mane can support healthy blood sugar, lower lipids, and soothe the gut, which is why extraction quality matters for real-world effects.

Mood uplift 🦪 A single serving of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) helped older adults maintain a steadier mood and reduce inflammation throughout the day. While the control meal led to lower positive mood and higher mental fatigue, meals containing oyster mushrooms prevented that slump. Blood tests also showed lower inflammatory markers after eating oyster mushrooms, suggesting a gentle anti-inflammatory effect. Cognitive results were mixed, but overall the mushroom-rich meals helped people feel better and stay more mentally balanced over the test day.

Smoothie upgrade 🥤 Adding just 1–5% oyster mushroom powder (Pleurotus ostreatus) to a carrot–tomato smoothie noticeably boosted its nutritional strength. Even the smallest amount improved antioxidant activity, enhanced mineral absorption in a gut-model test, and raised overall functional benefits. The 1% blend tasted best while still delivering meaningful boosts, showing how a little mushroom powder can make everyday foods more nutritious without changing the flavor.

Liver protection support 🍷 Polysaccharides from mushrooms help the liver by calming inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, and improving how the body handles fats and sugars. These natural compounds interact with key pathways that protect liver cells, support detox processes, and limit damage from stressors like alcohol or metabolic strain. Different mushrooms offer slightly different strengths, but across the board, these polysaccharides act like gentle regulators that help keep the liver balanced and functioning well.

FORAGED FIND

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PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION 

Pain relief 🌿 A single dose of psilocybin reduced both chronic pain sensitivity and depression-like behaviors in mice. It worked by calming overactive neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region that links emotional pain and physical pain. By acting on key serotonin receptors, psilocybin helped restore normal mood and lowered pain responses at the same time, suggesting it may eventually support people who struggle with both conditions together.

Fast-acting mood lift ⚡️ In chronically stressed mice, a single dose of psilocybin or ketamine reversed social withdrawal within 24 hours, and the improvements lasted up to two weeks. Prozac (fluoxetine) also helped, but only after repeated dosing and with shorter-lasting effects.

Microdosing reality check 💊 When researchers pooled controlled studies of psilocybin microdosing, the cognitive effects were small, inconsistent, and often statistically insignificant. Across tasks measuring memory, attention, creativity, and executive function, psilocybin microdoses did not produce reliable improvements compared to placebo. Many participants felt more focused or uplifted, but those subjective impressions didn’t show up in objective testing. The data suggests that, for cognition specifically, psilocybin microdosing offers minimal measurable benefit — far less than popular claims imply.

Fairytale visions 🧚 A rare wild mushroom called Lanmaoa asiatica can trigger vivid “tiny people” hallucinations when undercooked — a striking, clinically recognized syndrome reported across Papua New Guinea, China, and the Philippines. Despite decades of stories, scientists still haven’t identified the compound responsible. Early testing shows the mushroom contains no known psychedelics, suggesting an entirely new psychoactive molecule. Because different cultures independently report the exact same lilliputian visions, researchers believe the effect is biological, not folklore, and ongoing chemical and genomic work is now narrowing in on what makes this mushroom uniquely hallucinogenic.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Onion boost 🧅 Onions partnered with beneficial soil fungi (AM fungi) grew stronger, produced more flowers, and became far more attractive to pollinators. The best-performing mix of fungal strains helped onions take up more nutrients like phosphorus and potassium, grow taller stalks, and make more blooms — which in turn drew significantly more bees, butterflies, and flies. These fungal helpers also increased bulb yield and seed weight, showing how mycorrhizal fungi can make crops healthier, more productive, and better supported by the surrounding ecosystem.

Ancient symbiosis revealed 🧬 Scientists discovered a 407-million-year-old fossilized fungus living inside one of Earth’s earliest land plants. Using advanced imaging techniques, they confirmed it was an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AM fungus), the same type that still helps modern plants absorb nutrients today. This ancient species, Rugososporomyces lavoisierae, formed tiny tree-like structures inside plant cells — clear evidence that plants and fungi were partnering for survival extremely early in Earth’s history. The finding shows that this nutrient-sharing relationship helped plants thrive on land long before soils or forests existed.

New bricks 🧱 Bricks made from oyster mushroom mycelium (Pleurotus ostreatus) proved strong, lightweight, and surprisingly sustainable. By growing mycelium through mixtures of clay, lime, rice straw, and sawdust, researchers created building blocks with solid compressive strength, low density, and better water resistance when clay was added. The best-performing blend produced durable bricks while reusing agricultural waste and avoiding high-carbon materials like cement. The result: a renewable, low-energy construction material that could support affordable rural housing while dramatically reducing environmental impact.

GROWING & GOURMET

Agricultural leftovers 🌽 Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) thrive on agricultural leftovers like coffee husks, banana leaves, rice straw, and other common farm byproducts — turning waste into high-yield food. Across dozens of tested substrates, mushrooms grew vigorously, produced strong biological efficiency, and left behind nutrient-rich spent substrate that improved soil structure and fertility. This circular model means farmers can convert low-value waste into edible mushrooms while returning enriched material to the fields, creating a closed-loop, low-cost, sustainable cultivation system.

Healthier chocolate 🍫 Adding sous vide–processed button mushroom powder (Agaricus bisporus) to chocolate boosted its antioxidant power and improved its overall nutritional profile without ruining taste or texture. The mushroom-enriched chocolate showed higher levels of beneficial phenolics and stronger free-radical scavenging activity, meaning more cellular protection in every bite. Sensory testing confirmed that the flavor stayed smooth and appealing, showing how mushrooms can quietly elevate everyday foods while keeping them delicious. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12651852/pdf/foods-14-03808.pdf 

Shroomy noods 🍜 Adding ultrafine straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) powder — naturally rich in vitamin D2 — made noodles more nutritious while keeping the texture and flavor people love. Low levels (around 5 percent) strengthened color and taste without hurting dough performance, and sensory testers rated these noodles the best overall. Higher amounts weakened the gluten network, but small additions delivered the ideal balance: better nutrition, good chew, and a smooth, resilient bite.

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