PsilocybinThe health benefits of this may extend beyond that Mental realm. New studies in human cells and mice found the first experimental evidence that compounds can prolong lifespan and combat signs of aging.
Because it is psychedelic, psilocybin is usually investigated for its potential Treatment of depressionanxiety, others Neuropathy. However, there was not much direct research into what effect it had on. Biological Aging.
For new research, scientists from Emory University and Baylor School of Medicine in the US tested human cell cultures and live mice. Both cases showed a dramatic extension of lifespan – treated cells lived more than 50% longer than untreated cells, while treated mice were much more likely to survive overall.
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“This study provides strong preclinical evidence that psilocybin may contribute not only to longer lifespans, but also to better quality of life in later years.” Ali John Zarabhi saysEmory’s palliative care doctor.
Adult human skin and fetal lung fibroblasts were treated with psilocin, a compound that is broken down into psilocybin by our body’s metabolism. Then, they were monitored until they reached the cell Agingwhere they essentially “used out” cell division and went dormant.
At a concentration of 100 micromolar, treated lung cells took 57% longer to reach aging compared to untreated ones. Treated skin cells showed an increase of 51%.
In a mouse study, 19-month-old female mice (a roughly equivalent to 60-65 years of age) were given monthly psilocybin. After 10 months of treatment, 80% of mice receiving psilocybin were still alive, compared to 50% of the control group.
Although signs of aging have not been systematically studied, the treated mice also appear to have fewer old age characteristics, such as poor fur quality and the number of white hairs.
“These findings support the feasibility of psilocybin treatment in older adults.” The researcher writes.
“However, additional research is needed to identify treatment effectiveness optimization protocols, such as age of treatment initiation, frequency, and therapeutic dose, and to determine whether treatment affects maximum life expectancy.”
This study was published in the journal NPJ Aging.
