Are Magic Mushrooms Harmful To Your Well-Being?

Magic mushrooms, also known as “shrooms”, contain an ingredient called psilocybin, which affects the brain in various ways and can cause both pleasant and unpleasant mental health side effects. Psilocybin was first isolated in 1958 by Dr. Albert Hofmann, who also discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Magic mushrooms are often prepared by drying and eaten by being mixed into food. Research shows that psilocybin can have a positive effect on mental health, potentially treating PTSD, headaches, and substance misuse disorders.

From 2017 to 2019, “magic mushrooms” (mushrooms from the genus psilocybe) in particular had increases in lifetime use from 24.4 to 34.2. However, there is no serious long-term side effects identified. Psilocybin has a low level of toxicity, meaning it has a low potential of causing potentially fatal events like breathing problems or a heart attack.

Psychedelic mushrooms may alter the brain, potentially leading to long-lasting reversals of depression, anxiety, cluster headaches, and more. The active agent in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, causes profound, temporary changes in a network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. While magic mushrooms are mostly illegal in the U.S., there is increasing interest in the potential therapeutic uses of these mushrooms.

Psilocybin mushrooms have been found to have minimal harmful effects and could potentially benefit those with depression. However, they remain illegal in Canada. New UGA research suggests psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms, has similar side effects to traditional drugs. In 2007, the Minister of Health of the Netherlands requested the CAM (Coordination point Assessment and Monitoring new drugs) to assess the overall risk of magic mushrooms.