Paul Stamets of British Columbia is a mycologist who has discovered some fascinating results in his research on the fungi we call mushrooms!
Pioppino mushrooms have been shown to induce tumor regression, reversing cancer in lab mice. Oddly enough, this same species also controlled blood sugar in diabetic mice.
There are mushrooms which can clean up the oil from oil spills, beehive-like Agarikon dangles that can provide a defense against weaponized smallpox. It is amazing to think about what potential tools we can find to reverse the damage we’ve done to the planet and they are all naturally occurring in nature.
Some types of mushrooms can even be used to help people to manage mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Psilocybin, the active ingredient found in magic mushrooms, or shrooms, is a powerful psychedelic that is being investigated for its potential medical benefits. Psilocybin is a psychedelic tryptamine.
These types of chemicals have a structure very similar to the structure of serotonin, a chemical messenger with important roles in the brain and digestive system. Because of this similarity, psilocybin can bind to receptors in the brain that are meant for serotonin. This binding and activation of serotonin receptor sites therefore correlates with the manifestation of psychedelic effects.
Correspondingly, it is thought that psilocybin works by suppressing parts of the brain that filter out information from the senses. This causes more sensory information to reach conscious levels of thought, causing hallucinogenic effects and changes in perception. You can learn more about the potential health benefits of magic mushrooms by doing some research into shrooms online.
Stamets also has written a book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. He believes that these particular mushrooms can serve as revolutionary tools in the fields of medicine, forestry, pesticides and pollution control. To find out more information check out this link to a full article with Stamets.
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