A new study determined that consuming psilocybin mushrooms, or better known as hallucinogenic mushrooms, could help alleviate depression in people, improving their mental well-being, even after its effect.
There are a variety of fungi that are classified into mushrooms, molds and yeasts taking into account the specific function they fulfill. Some of them are used for the production of food, poisons, the manufacture of medicines and the extraction of psychotropic substances.
Although hallucinogenic mushrooms in particular have had a bad name in the natural products industry, it should be noted that several studies suggest looking for these types of edible organisms before turning to medicines or processed foods.
Scientific research
A recent study by scientists at King’s College London and published in the journal Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, stated that psilocybin mushrooms, or “magic” as they are commonly known, could help alleviate depression in people by increasing the state of positive mood and works better than traditional medicines.
The research was based on a series of documents in which 89 volunteers participated. During the experiment it was found that there was a significant reduction in the symptoms of depression where the usual treatments had failed. The team of scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging to distinguish how the main element of the fungus affects the connectivity patterns between the amygdala and other parts of the brain, and they directly linked it to the decrease in depression.
“The study results are clinically reassuring and support further development of psilocybin as a treatment for patients with mental health problems that have not improved with conventional therapy, such as treatment-resistant depression,” said James Rucker, head of the research.
It should be noted that the study authors point out that more analysis is needed on the subject before having definitive conclusions, however, they affirm that psychedelics such as psilocybin could help people access and overcome difficult life situations.
