Bioactive Compound: serotonin

If psychedelics heal, how do they do it?

Psychedelic drugs like MDMA and magic mushrooms are showing remarkable promise in treating serious mental health conditions like PTSD and depression, with clinical trials demonstrating higher success rates than traditional therapy alone. However, scientists still don’t fully understand how these drugs work at the molecular and brain level, or whether the hallucinations they produce are necessary for healing. Researchers are investigating whether modified versions without hallucinations could provide the same benefits while being easier to administer, while also exploring how individual factors and treatment environment affect outcomes.

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Edible Mushrooms as a Potential Component of Dietary Interventions for Major Depressive Disorder

This review examines how edible mushrooms, particularly Lion’s mane, Reishi, and Caterpillar mushroom, might help treat depression as part of a dietary approach. These mushrooms contain compounds that may influence brain chemistry, especially serotonin levels, which are important for mood regulation. While early studies show promising results, especially for Lion’s mane, more research is needed to confirm these benefits in larger groups of patients.

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Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Ketamine and Psilocybin in Comparison to Current Treatment Regimens for Treatment-Resistant Depression, Mood Disorders, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the Pediatric Population: A Narrative Review

This review examines two emerging psychiatric treatments—ketamine and psilocybin—for treating hard-to-treat mental health conditions in children and teenagers. Both work by affecting brain chemicals differently than traditional medications and can provide rapid symptom relief, sometimes within hours or days rather than weeks. The study found promising results for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, though researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to ensure these treatments are safe for developing brains and that careful ethical guidelines must be established.

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