Psilocybin Cuts Migraines, Gut Fungi Signal Mental Health

Hi Shroomers. This week, gut fungi added real diagnostic signals in schizophrenia, and psilocybin cut migraine days by roughly half in a controlled trial. Elsewhere, mushrooms showed measurable gains in inflammation control, food stability, animal growth, and post-fire recovery.

Protection after infection 🧠 In adults aged 60 and older, shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)–derived ergothioneine taken at 25 mg three times per week for one year improved learning and memory scores with no liver or kidney toxicity reported, while snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) extracts at 600–1200 mg per day for 8 weeks improved short-term memory and cognitive function in people with subjective cognitive impairment.

Everyday inflammation support 🍽️ Protein extracts from button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) showed strong antioxidant activity. In inflammation models, the most active mushroom fractions reduced red blood cell damage by 68–72%, a standard marker of anti-inflammatory protection.

Gut fungi and mental health 🔍 In stool samples from 61 people with schizophrenia and 69 healthy controls, researchers found clear differences not just in bacteria, but also in gut fungi and archaea, with significantly lower archaeal diversity and altered fungal profiles in schizophrenia. A combined panel of 39 microbial species (9 archaea, 8 fungi, 22 bacteria) distinguished schizophrenia from controls with an AUC of 0.74, showing fungi added real diagnostic signal rather than noise. Specific fungal and archaeal species also tracked with symptom severity scores, strengthening the case that gut fungi are measurably involved in schizophrenia biology, not just bystanders.

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Migraine relief 🗣 In a randomized, double-blind trial of 18 adults with frequent migraines, a single 10 mg dose of psilocybin or two doses given one week apart both reduced migraine days by roughly 50%, similar to earlier findings. Over the first two weeks, 80% of people who received psilocybin (one or two doses) achieved at least a 50% reduction in migraine frequency, compared with 17% in the active placebo group, although results did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size. No serious adverse events occurred.

Binge eating disorder 💫 In a small open-label pilot study of 5 adults with binge eating disorder, a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin paired with therapy was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. All participants showed reductions in binge eating frequency that persisted through 14 weeks, alongside improvements in depression, anxiety, and psychological flexibility, and 3 of 5 participants also saw reductions in BMI and waist circumference. While preliminary and not causal, the results suggest that psilocybin-assisted therapy may help interrupt compulsive eating patterns by increasing cognitive and emotional flexibility.

Time feels slower ⏳ In a double-blind study of 24 adults, psilocybin made people feel like time slowed down, and this matched measurable changes in timing tasks compared to placebo. Participants also became less precise at judging time intervals, especially for periods longer than 2 seconds, showing this was not just a feeling but a real cognitive shift. The findings help explain a common psychedelic experience by showing psilocybin temporarily alters attention and working memory systems that the brain uses to track time.

Trauma recall without overwhelm 🫂 In a survey of 468 people who had used psychedelics or MDMA, 78% reported being able to revisit difficult or traumatic memories while still feeling safe, a pattern the authors call the “helioscope effect.” The researchers created a new 21-item scale showing that this combination of exposure plus emotional protection predicted positive, lasting mood and attitude changes, while avoidance and distress predicted negative outcomes. Although this paper does not test therapy results directly, it offers a clear, human-based framework for why psychedelics may allow trauma to be revisited without re-traumatization, especially in supported settings.

Fire-adapted fungi 🔥 By comparing genomes of fire-loving fungi to their non-fire relatives, researchers found repeated gene duplications and horizontal gene transfer in pathways tied to rapid carbon and nitrogen uptake after wildfires. These fungi traded long-term efficiency for fast nutrient capture, investing heavily in enzymes that break down charred plant material and postfire substrates while losing traits useful in stable forests. The result is a clear evolutionary pattern: pyrophilous fungi are genetically tuned to colonize burned landscapes, shaping early soil recovery and postfire carbon cycling in measurable ways.

Strong fibers ♻️ Spent mushroom substrate from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) was converted into usable fibers using an extrusion process. The resulting sheets were up to 7.5× stronger than commercial birch pulp sheets, thanks to residual mycelial fibrils that improved fiber bonding without chemical treatment.

Light-boosted compounds 🔵 Antler-type reishi mushroom (Ganoderma sichuanense) grown under blue LED light (460–475 nm) at 10 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ produced the highest yields and bioactives, including 72.7 mg/g polysaccharides and 11.7 mg/g triterpenoids, significantly outperforming other light conditions. Blue light increased mushroom yield to 14.1%, compared with ~11% under natural, red, or white light, while also delivering the strongest boost to key medicinal compounds.

Meat protection 🍔 Extracts from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) protected frozen beef burgers for up to 90 days, performing as well as or better than sodium erythorbate, a common synthetic antioxidant. Stipe extracts best preserved red color and reduced lipid oxidation, while cap extracts better stabilized brightness and myoglobin, showing different parts protect meat in different ways. Both extracts increased free amino acids, improving flavor without changing texture or cooking loss.

What’s in your chicken 🐔 Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) supplementation significantly improved broiler chicken growth and feed efficiency when added at moderate levels. Chickens receiving 5–20% shiitake reached much higher final weights and showed better feed conversion, meaning more growth without eating more feed.

Restoring waterways 🌊 In a 10-week field study, native Pentaspadon motleyi seedlings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) grew five times taller and thicker than untreated seedlings when planted along a degraded waterway. AMF-treated seedlings also developed 2–3× more leaves, larger leaf area, and healthier, more fibrous root systems, all traits linked to better survival in flood-prone conditions. The results show that fungal inoculation can materially strengthen young trees during early establishment.

Flavor-tuned 🍜 Using ultrasound-assisted microwave vacuum drying, researchers found that shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) developed the strongest aroma at 70% ultrasonic amplitude, which boosted key sulfur compounds to 33.88 ng/g. At this setting, enzyme activity linked to shiitake’s signature flavor jumped sharply, including a 134% increase in C–S lyase activity, driving higher production of compounds like lenthionine. Higher intensity (90%) actually dulled flavor by shifting metabolism toward stress and energy maintenance, showing that precise drying settings directly control taste quality in dried shiitake.