5 Easy Ways You Can Enhance the Effects of Mushrooms
Although humans have consumed various mushrooms for (at least) thousands of years, scientists have only scratched the surface of the effects of mushrooms. We do know, however, that some mushrooms cause psychedelic trips while others may have a range of health benefits.
Functional mushrooms (we’ll explain what that means in a little bit) work well enough on their own, but you might be looking for something to synergize their effects. Keep reading for our tips on making your mushroom experience even more CAPtivating.
Why Use Mushrooms for Wellness, Anyway?
Well, because a lot of mushrooms carry a boatload of health benefits. The tastier mushroom types, such as portobello and shiitake, contain a lot of useful vitamins and minerals. Functional or medicinal mushrooms can help humans manage physical stress, and psychedelic mushrooms might hold value in guarding against some mental health conditions when taken in small doses (microdosing).
Nootropics & Functional Mushrooms
Functional mushrooms, sometimes called nootropic or medicinal mushrooms, don’t usually taste that great. Their benefits lie in their adaptogenic capabilities.
Adaptogens are generally defined as natural substances that help humans’ bodily functions respond to stress. And we don’t just mean emotional stress, like the kind that crops up when your boss emails you to set up a one-on-one meeting. Bodily stress can come in the form of inflammation from an infection, for instance, and many nootropic mushrooms have shown immune-boosting effects.
Some of the most popular kinds of medicinal mushrooms include:
- Reishi
- Turkey tail
- Cordyceps
- Lion’s mane
- Chaga
- Maitake
- Meshima
Many users prefer consuming nootropic mushroom powder in teas, soups, yogurts, gummies, or other foods and beverages. Mushroom extracts, tinctures, and vapes are also available.
“Trippy” or Psychedelic Mushrooms
Shrooms, magic mushrooms, whatever you want to call them—this is the good stuff. Two states, Oregon and Colorado, have decriminalized personal possession of shrooms, and a few dozen municipalities and counties in other states have done the same.
The main hallucinogenic ingredient in shrooms is psilocybin. Psilocybin attaches to certain receptors in the brain that affect mood and cognition. Ingesting enough psilocybin causes the classic high associated with shrooms, which can include euphoria, hallucinations, and profound experiences many users describe as spiritual.
Key Benefits and Effects of Mushrooms You’ll Want to Know
The list of potential benefits of nootropic mushrooms is almost too long to include here. In fact, we won’t go over every single one, partly because research is ongoing, but some of the more notable ones are:
- Hypotensive. Certain medicinal mushrooms can bring down chronic high blood pressure.
- Anticancer. Eating at least one cup of functional mushrooms may cut your risk of developing a malignancy by up to 45%.
- Antidiabetic. Many nootropic shrooms have a good amount of polysaccharides to help prevent the development of diabetes.
- Immune-boosting. It’s hard to find a medicinal mushroom that doesn’t help your immune system.
- Antioxidative. Antioxidants can decrease the chances of getting a gazillion different diseases, many of them chronic.
What about “magic mushrooms”?
Because psilocybin-containing mushrooms are a Schedule 1 drug at the federal level, research on health benefits has been almost non-existent. It may help with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psilocybin has also shown promise in helping treat substance use disorder.
You might encounter psilocybin-free mushroom products with labels like “magic mushrooms” or something else that might imply that they contain the trippy stuff. Consuming enough of these products in one setting might produce sensations comparable to highs or trips, but user experiences vary. Always read the ingredient list and consult your doctor before using any products that contain functional or trippy mushrooms.
5 Simple Ways to Enhance the Effects of Mushrooms
If you’ve been using mushroom products for a while and want to level up your experience, we’ve got five suggestions that may be just what you’re looking for.
1. Bring Some Cannabis Into the Mix (With Caution!)
Cannabis is a pretty sure bet for a pretty good time, and using it at the same time as shrooms can take the party to the next level. Your trip might get more intense, and you may experience more robust hallucinations.
To avoid overwhelming your mind and body, keep cannabis use restricted to the milder parts of your trip, such as the “come-down” period. Some trip enthusiasts report that cannabis can help ease the experience while also enhancing its mental impact.
If THC isn’t legal where you live, taking products with CBD, CBN, or other non-psychoactive cannabinoids can still enhance the effects of mushrooms. CBD, for instance, is known to reduce stress and anxiety in many users.
2. Pair the “Fun” with the Functional
You can’t spell functional without fun, and we think that’s very profound. Many euphoric mushroom products (like gummies) have traces of functional mushrooms in them, because why wouldn’t you want all the health benefits of reishi, turkey tail, lion’s mane, and cordyceps mushrooms?
Speaking of fun, your mushroom gummies might also contain ashwagandha, a noted aphrodisiac. That could make sex with yourself or your partner even more satisfying.
3. Scale Up Your Dose (Carefully!)
One thing guaranteed to sour your mushroom experience is consuming too much at once. Instead of a transcendent experience, your trip could be riddled with paranoia and nausea. Taking mushroom capsules is a good way to know exactly how much you’re consuming. Remember to start with lower doses and slowly work up to the dosage you like the best.
4. Try a Mushroom Tincture, Gummies, or Edibles
Pairing shrooms with chocolate or switching to tinctures might result in longer-lasting mushroom effects. Tinctures often start working within 30 minutes, but mushroom gummies and chocolates can take an hour or longer to kick in. So, eating a mushroom gummy (or several) in the morning might last well until the afternoon.
5. Get a Quick Pick-Me-Up with a Mushroom Vape
On the other end of the spectrum lies mushroom vapes. Yes, there is such a thing as mushroom vapes. They often start working instantly (or near instantly), providing the same mildly euphoric and relaxing effects as gummies and chocolates.
Remember to Watch Out for Side Effects
Psilocybin is not without a bevy of potential adverse side effects, and the same goes for mushroom products that don’t contain psilocybin.
You might experience one or more of the following:
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Intense drowsiness
- Weakness
- Poor coordination
- Fast heart rate
- Sweating
- Chills
- Facial numbness
- Agitation
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Delirium
- Psychosis
We know that’s a long list, and some of those symptoms probably sound a little frightening. But starting with a low dose and running everything by your doctor can dramatically reduce the risks of adverse effects from shrooms.
Find the Mushroom Products for Your Routine at Green Dragon
We know you’ve been thinking about trying mushrooms for a while now. It can be hard to know which mushroom products are legitimate and which ones aren’t worth your time. The Green Dragon CBD offers top-tier products that align with your schedule and meet your needs.
Want to know a little bit more about a product before purchasing? Our knowledgeable team would be more than happy to answer your questions and help you feel comfortable. Drop us a line anytime, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
The word “shrooms” is generally used as an umbrella term for different types of psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms.
Unlike the mushrooms we might eat in a dish, shrooms often contain compounds that can produce psychedelic effects, like hallucinations, distorted senses, and altered states of consciousness, also known as “trips.” The most common psychoactive compound found in these sorts of shrooms is psilocybin, but not all shrooms capable of impacting the brain rely on psilocybin to do so.
Many people turn to shrooms for recreational or medicinal purposes (or both), which isn’t a new phenomenon; many types of mushrooms have been used for centuries or even longer to treat common ailments, promote spiritual exploration, and bring people closer together.
In fact, some shrooms, like fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), are so ancient that researchers have traced their origins back to the period before indigenous peoples crossed from Eurasia to the Americas via the Bering Straits. That means that shroom use has been around for almost as long as modern human society has!
- Use the right amount for your body.
- Pay attention to side effects.
- Talk to a doctor before starting any new medication plan, shroomy or not.
- Take time to find the right products for your needs and goals.
Magic mushrooms, including those with psilocybin and things like A. muscaria, typically begin to kick in within about 30-60 minutes. Effects generally peak after an hour or two, and the entire trip will likely last from four to six hours.
There are, of course, personal and biological factors that can affect how long your shroom experience lasts. The potency of the shrooms in question, the dose you take, and your own metabolism can all influence how strong a trip is and how long it sticks around.
Once your trip has come to a close, you can likely expect the remnants of your fungal friends to linger in your body for about one to three days. Keep in mind, though, that most standard drug tests don’t check for magic mushrooms, and if they do, they’re almost certainly looking for psilocybin.
If drug testing is a concern of yours, it might be best to choose shrooms that are psilocybin-free or time your trips to leave enough days for your body to purge it from your system.
