Could These Special Mushrooms Make Humans Live Longer?

Photographs of the control group mice (left) and the psilocybin-treated mice (right) during different stages of the experiment.

A specific compound found in psychedelic mushrooms may have properties that reduce aging in humans and increase longevity. Called psilocybin, this compound was closely inspected in psychedelic mushrooms by researchers at Emory University. It’s an active component of these mushrooms, and the researchers’ findings, which were published in the Nature Partnering Journal (NPJ) Aging, revealed that psilocybin helps reduce cellular aging and potentially increase longevity in humans and mice. Specifically, after numerous tests, the researchers found that psilocybin reduced the aging of cells in humans by an incredible 57% and by 30% in elderly mice!

Methodology

Researchers tested the effects of psilocybin in two ways. First, they directly tested the compound on a group of elderly mice. Then, they tested psilocin, the broken-down form of psilocybin once it goes through digestion, on human fibroblast cells from the lungs.

The first test was conducted on a group of old mice aged about 19 months old—equivalent to 60 or 65 human years. The researchers started by giving these mice an initial 5 milligram dose of psilocybin. Following the initial dose, the mice were given, every month, a 15 milligram dose for ten months. By the end of the experiments, the mice were 29 months old, which would be equivalent to around 92 to 99 years old for humans. 80% of the treated mice proceeded to live after the experiments as well, compared to just 50% in the control group.

As stated before, the researchers then tested the effects of psilocybin on human fibroblast cells from the lungs. In the experiment, they constantly dosed the cells with psilocin until they reached replicative senescence, the point at which the cell has divided 50 times. They noted down changes after testing the cells with 10 micrograms and then with 100 micrograms of psilocin, at which point they noticed significant effects.

Results

Just after three months, researchers reported that the mice that had been receiving psilocybin showed many signs of youth. First, the mice had fewer gray hairs and reduced hair loss compared to the control group. In fact, some characteristics of aging were even reversed as a result of the psilocybin treatment. In addition, the mice also exhibited increased physical activity. Due to reduced cellular aging, the mice also lived for 30% longer than those in the control group.

Moving on to the next test involving the human fibroblast cells, researchers found that with just 10 micrograms of psilocin, the cells exhibited a 29% increase in lifespan. After a ten-fold increase to 100 micrograms of psilocin, the cells’ lifespan went up by 57%!

Future Implications

Scientists gave doses of psilocybin to a clinical trial of patients. 98 days after the trial, they saw no significant side effects and concluded that psilocybin treatment was a viable option for potentially reducing aging in humans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also classified psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy,” indicating that the treatment meets federally enforced safety protocols.

Psilocybin might do more than slow aging. In the past, more than 150 clinical studies have been conducted on the effects of psilocybin, and it has been found to help with diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart problems, or diabetes that come with getting older. The mice in the study moved better and seemed younger, so psilocybin might help people stay active and healthy as they age, increasing longevity.

Potential Challenges

Although psilocybin has now been proven to help with reducing aging and improving human health, psilocybin remains mostly illegal around the world. As a Schedule I substance, the compound has to overcome major legal hurdles to be used as part of medical treatments. However, its promising results in the medical field might open up some countries to it.

There have also been concerns regarding the ethical aspects of psilocybin. First, there is the issue of equitable access. As a new treatment, it’s very likely that it will be expensive and thus only be available to wealthy individuals. This means that those that aren’t well-to-do will not have access to this treatment. However, this issue is not something that applies to just psilocybin treatments; a lack of equitable access is something that has been prevalent in the medical field as a whole.

Conclusion

Psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, shows great promise in reducing aging and increasing longevity in humans, as well as mice. Research from Emory University, published in NPJ Aging, demonstrated that psilocybin reduced cellular aging by 57% in human cells and extended the lifespan of elderly mice by 30%. The mice treated with psilocybin had fewer signs of aging, like less gray hair and more physical activity, while human fibroblast cells showed a significant increase in lifespan. Clinical trials also confirmed psilocybin’s safety, with the FDA labeling it a “breakthrough therapy.” Despite its potential to help with aging-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and heart problems, psilocybin faces challenges due to its illegal status in many places and concerns about equitable access to treatment. Still, these findings suggest psilocybin could be a game-changer for staying healthy and living longer.