In an initial clinical trial, scientists at Imperial College London tested a hallucinogenic compound in mushrooms, which showed good results in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms.
Depression affects more than 264 million people around the world, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Various specialists continue to test the most varied treatments to deal with this disorder that has a high incidence in the population.
Effective alternative therapy
One of the most curious therapies is being tested by specialists from Imperial College London, in the United Kingdom, who found in the so-called magic mushrooms an active ingredient that showed promising results in the treatment of depression.
In their initial clinical trial, the team found that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound in mushrooms, can be as effective as traditional medication. During their study, 59 patients tried a common antidepressant or the promising compound.
After receiving this innovative treatment, scientists from the Center for Psychedelic Research of the British House of Studies measured the mood of the participants, finding a decrease in the severity of depressive symptoms.
The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In their report, the team of experts detailed that the volunteers who received psilocybin reported having reached the fullest root of the reason for their depression.
“These findings further support the growing evidence base showing that in people with depression, psilocybin offers an alternative treatment to traditional antidepressants,” study co-author Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris said in a statement.
