Peter Attia in PA Newsletter:
“Magic mushrooms”—long used by Indigenous communities in ceremonial contexts and popularized during the psychedelic heyday of the 1960s—are once again entering the mainstream, in large part for the potential clinical applications of their psychoactive component, psilocybin. Though scientific interest has thus far mainly focused on the use of psilocybin for treating psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, a recent study made headlines for findings that hinted at a role for psilocybin in aging-related processes. Specifically, authors Kato et. al. present data from human cells and aging mice that suggest psilocybin could potentially act as a lifespan-extending drug.1
Why psilocybin for aging?
The idea that psychedelic mushrooms can extend lifespan may seem like the sci-fi daydream of modern-day hippies, but it’s not without some level of scientific basis. Psilocybin—which is converted to the bioactive molecule psilocin in the body—has shown promising results in treating depression and anxiety through psilocin’s ability to bind to serotonin receptors (especially the 5-HT2A receptor), leading to alterations in mood, perception, and sense of self.2 Depression and anxiety are themselves thought to accelerate a number of aging processes, which has led to the theory that psilocybin might therefore slow aging by reducing psychological stress.
More here.
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