Mushrooms and their Relationship to the Brain!
Fungi Fridays - October 21st, 2022 - Issue #53
Hi Fungi Fam,
Happy Friday! Made it down to the farm to scope out the new spot last weekend and we found the power hookup. Now we just need to get the trailer moved and we’ll be back in business! Not sure whether that’ll be this upcoming weekend or if it might not be til November, but there’s really not much of a rush at this point. Were into the slow season anyways, just planning and prepping. We won’t bore you with those nitty gritty details though, we’ll just tell you about them in the future.
So let’s get to this weeks stories!
Can Mushrooms Keep Your Brain Young?
Kicking off this week’s featured articles on Fungi Fridays is a video, coming from the SciShow on YouTube. This informative video breaks down the many different benefits of Lion’s mane mushrooms on the brain. It goes into detail on how this funky looking mushroom can stimulate cellular growth. By both stimulating and simulating growth factor, Lion’s mane has been shown to help brain cells grow bigger and live longer, translating to better brain function. Along with helping the brain function, mushrooms are also shown to affect the hippocampus by making our neurotransmitters more active. And all of this translates into positive results when it comes to studying the memory, showing how mushrooms are an all around positive brain food. I knew there was a reason that I love my Lions mane coffee!
How does psilocybin rewire the brain?
Sticking with the brain theme, let’s examine the psychedelic side of the relationship with feature number two. The article opens with the claim that psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi, rewires the brain in depressed people and has the potential to cure them of their depression, study finds.
Strengthening regions of the brain through the rewiring of connections, allows the individual to escape excessive rumination and self-focus, getting themselves out of their own head. This rewiring occurs in such a way that it may help alleviate depression and other debilitating psychiatric conditions. And it is not the only type of psychedelic effective against mental health issues and psychiatric conditions that are marked by fixed patterns of thinking.
“For the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants – making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression,” concluded David Nutt, DM, head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research.
“This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments.”
Mushrooms growing on insects may be used as Cancer drug, finds study
And for our final feature of the week, while not necessarily focused on the brain, we’re still sticking with the common theme of mushrooms and health. This is because researchers have found that mushrooms that grows on insects have the potential to be developed as antiviral and anti-cancer treatment. This fungi in question is called - Cordyceps mushroom
Cordyceps is a fungus that lives on certain caterpillars in the high mountain regions of China. Over the years, this fungus has been used to treat coughs, chronic bronchitis, respiratory disorders, kidney disorders, nighttime urination, male sexual problems, anemia, irregular heartbeat, high cholesterol, liver disorders, dizziness, weakness, ringing in the ears, unwanted weight loss, and opium addiction.
And how is this fungi being used to battle cancer? Well, Cordyceps grown on edible insects contained approximately 100 times more cordycepin compared to Cordyceps on brown rice, according to the article. And what is cordycepin? It’s just that… a novel treatment being studied to treat diseases such as cancer.
Want even more? Here are some other interesting, mushroom focused reads of the week:
Psilocybin Retreats – a Focal Point of the Growing Psychedelic Market
Why is the American right suddenly so interested in psychedelic drugs?
Can Psychedelics Cure? Science Is on the Verge of Finding Out
Fungi fashion: Can mushroom leather shape a sustainable future?
As always, thank you for reading this weeks edition of Fungi Friday’s! If you enjoyed what you found, please feel free to forward to friends also interested in the Fungi Community!
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