Can microdosing psilocybin, the compound in magic mushrooms, aid mental health?

From Medical News Today:

About 1 billion peopleTrusted Source around the world live with a mental health disorder. Examples of mental health disorders include depressionanxietybipolar disordereating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study published in September 2023 estimates that approximately half the world’s population can expect to develop one or more mental health disorders by age 75.

While there are treatment options like psychotherapymedicationsTrusted Source, and lifestyle changesTrusted Source that can help lessen mental health disorder symptoms, these are not equally effective for everyone. For this reason, researchers have also been looking at alternative treatments that could help. One of these potential alternative treatments involved the use of psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin. Now, a study from the University of Southern Denmark has found that microdosing on — or taking very small doses of — psilocybin may have a beneficial effect on mental health disorders. The researchers conducted their study in rat models.

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