Skin & Aging

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Study

Psilocybin Extended Lifespan in Old Mice but Not Proven in People

Psilocybin Extended Lifespan in Old Mice but Not Proven in People

Psilocybin mushrooms

What they found

Psilocybin extended lifespan in aged mice, but psychedelic users in a small human comparison did not outlive peers.

Psilocybin extended lifespan in aged mice, but psychedelic users in a small human comparison did not outlive peers.

The number

psychedelic users (n=11)

How solid is it?

Animal

Animal

Animal

Animal

Evidence ladder: Lab dish → Animal → Early human → Strong human. Reviews summarize earlier research.

At a glance

Latin name

Compound

psilocybin

psilocybin

Sample size

psychedelic users (n=11), cancer (n=12), aging researchers (n=5)

psychedelic users (n=11), cancer (n=12), aging researchers (n=5)

Published in

npj Aging

npj Aging

Covered in Shroom Scan

Section

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

As it ran in Shroom Scan

Longevity Signal Test

Longevity Signal Test

Psilocybin extended lifespan in aged mice and influenced pathways tied to stress resilience and mitochondrial function, key drivers of aging biology. In humans, a comparison of psychedelic users (n=11) vs cancer (n=12) and aging researchers (n=5) showed all groups lived beyond expected lifespan (~73–76 years at age 40), but psychedelic users did not outlive their peers. These results suggest longevity effects are biologically plausible but unproven in humans, requiring long-term, dose-specific studies before translation.

Psilocybin extended lifespan in aged mice and influenced pathways tied to stress resilience and mitochondrial function, key drivers of aging biology. In humans, a comparison of psychedelic users (n=11) vs cancer (n=12) and aging researchers (n=5) showed all groups lived beyond expected lifespan (~73–76 years at age 40), but psychedelic users did not outlive their peers. These results suggest longevity effects are biologically plausible but unproven in humans, requiring long-term, dose-specific studies before translation.

Shroom Scan #111: Nuclear fungi, oyster vs. cholesterol, and psilocybin's music playlists

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