New research shows that psilocybin, a substance found in psychedelic mushrooms, can slow down the ageing process. In laboratory studies, human skin and lung cells lived up to 50 percent longer after treatment with this substance. Older mice also benefited from psilocybin and lived an average of 30 percent longer.
Ageing at the cellular level causes our bodies to function less effectively. By stimulating cell renewal or slowing down the cellular ageing process, scientists hope to make getting older healthier. Psilocybin became primarily known as a substance with effects on the mind, but this research shows that the substance can also influence the physical ageing process.
The results are preliminary and based on tests in a laboratory and with animals. Further research is still needed to understand how psilocybin works precisely and whether it can be used safely and effectively in humans. Nevertheless, this discovery offers new possibilities for therapies that can slow down ageing.
For people interested in healthy ageing, this means that in the future there might be medicines that can influence the ageing process in a natural way. It remains important to maintain a healthy lifestyle even now, as that offers proven benefits.
Source: Neuroscience News
