Jonathan Wolff introduces the topic of fungi and mushrooms and their importance for health. He is joined by fungi expert Dr. Merlin Sheldrake and ZOE's scientific co-founder Professor Tim Spector. They discuss the potential of mushrooms in treating mental health conditions and protecting against other diseases. Dr. Merlin Sheldrake is the author of the best-selling book, Entangled Life, How Fungi Make Our World, and Professor Tim Spector is a top scientist and professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London.
Fungi are a kingdom of life, not plants or animals. Mushrooms are the reproductive structures of a small group of fungi, while most fungi live as mycelial networks.
Fungi don't photosynthesize like plants, but they consume food from the world. They play crucial roles in decomposing wood, supporting plant life, and regulating the atmosphere.
Fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants, exchanging nutrients for sugars and fats. Their impact on soil health is crucial for plant growth and human health.
Modern agriculture disrupts fungal communities, leading to lower diversity and less healthy fungi. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides can be damaging to fungal networks.
Psychedelic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a powerful neurochemical with therapeutic potential for mental health issues.
Dr. Merlin Sheldrake participated in a study on the effects of LSD on scientists' problem-solving abilities. He found the experience to provide a new perspective on the problem and helpful insights, leading to a fruitful approach.
Dr. Merlin Sheldrake had a very positive experience overall with the LSD study, feeling like his mind became a much larger place and finding it helpful to remember that his mind is a bigger place than the room he is in at any given moment.
The experience made Dr. Merlin Sheldrake feel like the boundaries of where he started and stopped became more confusing, and he became more porous, making it less easy to distinguish himself from his environment.
LSD and psilocybin are being recognized for their therapeutic benefits in psychiatry, showing remarkable benefits for severe depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
Mushrooms are being investigated for their potential in cancer treatment, with observational studies showing reduced dementia in elderly people, reduced risk of prostate cancer, and improvements in cancer outcomes when used as adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy.
Fungi and mushrooms have hundreds of chemicals that benefit the immune system, potentially helping patients respond better to drugs.
In Japan, there's a chemical from shiitake mushrooms used for treating cancer alongside conventional treatments, and a compound from turkey tail used widely in medical contexts.
Ergothionine, found in many fungi, has powerful effects on the immune system. Humans have adapted to bring it into their bodies. Eating whole mushrooms is better than taking ET supplements.
Many medicinal fungi have been used for a long time by traditional cultures, including psychedelics. Modern science is just understanding more about how they work.
Dr. Merlin Sheldrake and Prof. Tim Spector discuss the medicinal and nutritional value of mushrooms, drawing parallels to traditional medicine and the challenges of conducting clinical studies on traditional fungal medicines due to lack of intellectual property rights.
Prof. Tim Spector highlights the nutritional benefits of mushrooms, including their protein, fiber, selenium, and vitamin D content, and emphasizes the importance of cooking mushrooms to remove toxins and enhance flavor.
The conversation delves into the diversity of mushrooms, the importance of positively identifying wild mushrooms before consumption, and the nutritional value of dried mushrooms, cautioning about the need for a reputable source.
Dr. Merlin Sheldrake emphasizes the importance of finding relevant resources for studying fungi based on geographical location.
Jonathan Wolff summarizes the discussion, highlighting the significance of fungi in agriculture and the impact of modern agricultural practices on fungi and plant relationships.
The conversation delves into the medicinal and culinary aspects of mushrooms, emphasizing their complex chemicals and the importance of diversity in diet.
Dr. Merlin Sheldrake cautions against unsustainable foraging practices and the need to leave most edible mushrooms behind to ensure sustainability.
The podcast concludes with a recommendation to explore a new science-backed nutrition and health guide.