By Eve Herold –
Psilosybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms” that causes the hallucinogenic effects, has recently been an active area of study for mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, where it has shown long-lasting benefits. But new research suggests this ingredient also can have a significant effect on aging. A new study led by Louise Hecker at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston suggests that psilocybin may actually protect telomeres and slow cellular aging. Hecker’s team tested psilocin, a molecule that psilocybin breaks down to in the body, on female mice whose age was the equivalent the that of a human in their 60s. The study showed that aging was slowed in the mice by several biomarkers, so the scientists tested it on isolated human skin and lung cells. The result? The lifespan of the cells was extended by 57% by preserving telomere length, reducing levels of oxidative stress and ramping up levels of Sirt1, a protein previously associated with longer life. Could a non-psychogenic molecule be isolated from psilocybin that could result in a drug to slow aging? The search is on.