BIOHACKING WITH MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS AND MAGIC MUSHROOMS: HOW TO APPROACH?

Mushrooms are perhaps one of nature's most extraordinary creations: they are rich in nutritious and useful compounds, which we can put to good use in biohacking. That means they can boost our health. Both magic mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms can be used for biohacking. In this blog, we explain how to go about it.

Biohacking with natural supplements: magic mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms

Are you interested in improving your health? Do you want to optimise your body processes using supplements, nutrition or even technology? That's basically what biohacking is. It involves making adjustments to improve your mental and physical performance. For this, you can also use medicinal mushrooms or magic mushrooms.

If you are interested in this, it is also useful if you know what the differences are between magic mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms have mind-altering properties. At a high enough dose, you will hallucinate. You can also take a dose so low that you don't experience any psychoactive properties. That's microdosing. In magic mushrooms, it is the substance psilocybin that is responsible for the mind-altering properties.

Medicinal mushrooms do not contain this substance. However, they are rich in minerals, antioxidants and bioactive components, which can help support our health. Examples of medicinal mushrooms include Chaga, Reishi and Lion's Mane.

You can biohack with medicinal mushrooms and magic mushrooms, either by taking them daily or taking them according to a routine.

Biohacking with medicinal mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms are easy to use to support your health. Easier at least than magic mushrooms, as they do not interfere with your daily functioning. They come in different forms, such as capsules, tinctures or powders. Choose one or more of these mushrooms based on your health goals and take the supplement at a set time during the day. Keep in mind that you will not notice an immediate effect, which may take several days or weeks.

Do not use mushrooms if you are sensitive to this food group. These mushrooms can also bring side effects. Reishi is known to cause headaches and dizziness, and Lion's Mane can potentially cause allergic reactions. Stick to the recommended doses and monitor how you react.

Possible benefits of medicinal mushrooms

Chaga

Chaga is a medicinal mushroom that looks inconspicuous but turns out to be an unexpected source of valuable nutrients. Research from 2021 suggests that Chaga contains the extract Inonotus obliquus, a polysaccharide composed of several sugars (such as arabinose, mannose and galactose). Limited studies suggest that Chaga may possibly affect blood sugar and cholesterol, but these results are not yet convincing enough for medical applications. Furthermore, the many antioxidants could potentially help fight oxidative stress, making chaga suitable for biohacking overall health.

Maitake

Maitake, or Grifola frondosa, also known as Eikhaas in Dutch, is a medicinal mushroom native to Japan, China and North America. In Chinese medicine, Maitake has been used for centuries. Traditionally, the mushroom has been known as a life-force enhancer.

Maitake contains beta-glucans and heteroglycans, antioxidants, fibre and minerals such as copper and potassium. Possibly, Maitake can be used to boost the immune response and make you more resilient to stress. Maitake has been studied for possible effects on fatigue, cholesterol and blood pressure, but firm conclusions are not yet possible based on current research. See more on this in the article: Unveiling the full spectrum of maitake mushrooms: A comprehensive review of their medicinal, therapeutic, nutraceutical, and cosmetic potential on PubMed Central.

How can you biohack with magic mushrooms?

Apart from medicinal mushrooms, you can also use magic mushrooms for biohacking. A lot of research is being done on the effects of magic mushrooms, especially mentally. More and more is becoming known about what they can do for certain mental conditions, such as depression or PTSD. But it is important to mention here that we are still far from knowing everything and that if you suffer from mental symptoms, it is always important to seek professional help for this. Don't go on your own and always seek advice from your doctor first.

What could be the benefits of magic mushrooms in biohacking? Studies have been done, showing that psilocybin can have a positive effect on the brain's neuroplasticity. This means that it stimulates the production of new neurons, making the brain more adaptable. This was studied, for example, by Calder and Hasler in 2023 (Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity).

Shrooms also have an effect on emotions. Some studies show that psilocybin may affect certain mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD. However, these findings are still at an experimental stage and require more large-scale research. This may be due to the aforementioned neuroplasticity, but also to the impact psilocybin has on the default mode network (DMN). This region of the brain regulates how we see ourselves in the world and how we reason about ourselves.

There has also been research on this, such as Watford and Masood's work on the effects of psilocybin on depression in adults. They looked at six studies, involving a total of 319 people. In each study, people received psychological counselling as part of the treatment in addition to psilocybin. All these studies found that participants strongly preferred psilocybin to reduce their depressive symptoms, with very few side effects reported.

Important medical advice

If you have physical or mental symptoms, it is essential to always contact a GP or medical specialist first. Even if the complaints seem mild or if you are considering taking supplements or magic mushrooms, professional guidance is necessary. Medicinal mushrooms and psilocybin can interact with medications or affect existing health problems.

Starting biohacking with medicinal mushrooms and shrooms

If you are interested in biohacking with medicinal mushrooms or magic mushrooms, you can find what you need online. First, see what you want to focus on: for example, stress, anxiety, creativity or your mood. Then find out which mushroom can best help with this.

If you want to use magic mushrooms, it is a good idea to read up on their effects and possible risks first. Mushrooms have mind-altering effects. So don't use them on days when you have to work, study or have appointments. Furthermore, they can cause side effects such as nausea, stomach ache, confusion and they intensify your emotions. Therefore, do not take mushrooms if you are not feeling well. People who suffer from mental complaints should not use magic mushrooms.

If you want to use medicinal mushrooms, buy them from a reliable shop. Choose a form that makes ingestion easy and best suits your lifestyle. Beware of mushroom hypersensitivities and seek the advice of your doctor first if you are on medication. Some mushrooms can affect how they work.

This blog is intended as a source of information only, it is not medical advice and does not encourage illegal acts.