Magic mushrooms are a popular psychedelic that has been around for millennia, as they grow naturally worldwide.
These fungi contain the compound psilocybin. It causes psychoactive effects and hallucinations when ingested in large enough doses.
Historical evidence suggests that indigenous groups have used magic mushrooms and other psychoactive substances for centuries, even millennia. Sculptures of mushrooms have been found in Mesoamerica, dating back to 500 B.C. and A.D. 900.
With this rich history, people have discovered several ways to take magic mushrooms while discovering their benefits.
Health Benefits of Magic Mushrooms
Despite occurring naturally, the psilocybin found in magic mushrooms is still considered illegal in several countries. For this reason, medical research on psilocybin mushrooms is still in its infancy, despite promising prospects.
Manage Depression
Magic mushrooms are currently being researched as a possible treatment for depression.
In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration gave a “breakthrough therapy designation” to a psilocybin-based drug which aims to help with treatment-resistant depression.
This year, a Canadian senator opened up about micro dosing magic mushrooms to help alleviate his symptoms of depression.
Help People Quit Smoking
A small study from Johns Hopkins University found that psilocybin therapy caused a significant improvement in smoking cessation over 12 months.
During the 12-month follow-up, 67 percent of participants successfully abstained from smoking. At the long-term follow-up, this number slightly dropped to 60 percent. Still, the study presents significant potential for smoking cessation programs.
Provide Stress and Anxiety Relief
Terminal and life-threatening illnesses like cancer could cause significant feelings of anxiety and psychological distress.
Psilocybin therapy has reportedly helped ease strong feelings of existential anxiety and dread in terminally ill patients.
Despite magic mushrooms being illegal in the country, Health Canada has approved the medical use of psilocybin to help alleviate the stress experienced by terminally ill cancer patients.
Ways To Take Shrooms
Despite the questionable legal status of magic mushrooms, you can still get some from dispensaries or buy shrooms online in Canada. Many dispensaries and advocates are selling it openly to help spur legalization.
Once you’ve got your hands on some shrooms, you can get creative with how you take them.
Eat Them Straight Up
The simplest way to ingest magic mushrooms is to simply chew and eat them straight up. The taste might not be too pleasant for some, so it’s best to have a glass of water nearby.
You can expect to feel its effects at around 45 minutes, depending on how fast your body can absorb it. You might have to wait a little longer if you’ve just eaten a full meal.
Mix With Other Foods
To help mask the taste, you could chop up your shrooms and mix them with other ingredients to create a full meal.
Just be careful about cooking your mushrooms. Heating them for significant amounts of time could make them lose their potency. So, it’s safest to add them as a garnish or minimize their cooking time.
Brew Mushroom Tea
To make mushroom tea, steep some chopped mushrooms in hot, not boiling water for around 10 to 15 minutes. You could also add sweeteners or flavourings to help mask the taste if you find it unpleasant.
Make Lemon Tek
To produce lemon tek, take some crushed or ground magic mushrooms and soak them in lemon or lime juice for around 15 minutes to half an hour.
Although yet to be scientifically proven, proponents of the process believe that the citric acid from the lemon or lime mimics stomach acids, helping you break down the shrooms and feel the effects faster.
With several research attempts on the way, it’s likely that we’ll soon find more scientific evidence on the benefits and effects of magic mushrooms. In the meantime, you can still enjoy the psychedelic effects and other health benefits of shrooms in different ways.