Health
Single dose of 'magic mushrooms' provides 5 years of depression relief, researchers find
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Psilocybin, the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, could alleviate depression for at least five years after just one dose, according to a new study.
The research, presented June 18 at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, followed up with patients who had been diagnosed with clinical depression — also known as major depressive disorder (MDD) — and had participated in a previous psilocybin treatment study in 2020.
“Most people who participated in our trial reported improvements in depression symptom intensity or in the ways in which they experienced depression in their life, lasting up to five years after the trial,” study co-author Alan Davis, director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University, told Fox News Digital.
PSYCHEDELICS AS POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT ARE EXPLORED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Doug Drysdale, CEO of the Canadian pharmaceutical company Cybin in Toronto, Ontario, told Fox News Digital that the outcome speaks to the “exciting” potential of psilocybin and other psychedelic-based treatments in treating MDD and other mental health conditions.
“The results of the study are certainly very encouraging,” said Drysdale, who was not involved in the study.
A worker holds dried psychedelic mushrooms. The results of the new study are “certainly very encouraging,” said one pharmaceutical company executive. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Earlier studies pointed toward the possibility of psilocybin as a potential antidepressant, prompting researchers to conduct the first-ever randomized clinical trial.
The initial 2020 trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry, included 24 patients with major depressive disorder. Half received psilocybin at the beginning of the trial, and the other half received the treatment eight weeks later.
Each patient also underwent 11 hours of psychotherapy.
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One month after treatment, 17 patients reported experiencing symptom relief. Fourteen of those reported full remission from depression, according to the published study.
“The effectiveness of psilocybin therapy after a single or only a few administrations represents another substantial advantage over commonly used antidepressants that require daily administration,” the researchers wrote.
Patients appeared to respond much faster to psychedelics than to traditional antidepressants, the researchers stated. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The new study aimed to explore the longer-term effects of this treatment on 21 of the original trial participants.
Sixty-seven percent reported being in remission from depression five years after treatment, and they also had less anxiety and easier daily functioning.
“The study doesn’t account for naturalistic changes that could have affected their depression in the five years since the main trial.”
For those whose depression came back, many still reported lasting benefits in their attitudes, perspectives and ability to pursue things that were meaningful to them, Davis told Fox News Digital.
“Certainly, more controlled and rigorous study is required, but at least anecdotally, these findings are very interesting, and I am cautiously optimistic about the potential for extended efficacy provided by these types of treatments,” Drysdale added.
Sixty-seven percent of participants reported being in remission from depression five years after treatment, and they also had less anxiety and easier daily functioning. (JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)
Other factors may have also played a role in the participants’ long-term mental health benefits, such as psychotherapy sessions or other antidepressants, experts agreed.
“The study doesn’t account for naturalistic changes that could have affected their depression in the five years since the main trial, and the sample is not representative of the population of people suffering with depression,” Davis told Fox News Digital.
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Psilocybin has also been explored as a potential treatment for post-partum depression (PPD), which affects as many as one in seven new mothers.
A 2022 study outlined the potential role of psychedelics in PPD cases, finding that psilocybin has been shown to catalyze a sense of “reconnection” in new mothers.
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“This effect in PPD, by fostering a sense of ‘reconnection’ for the mother, may allow for improved mood and maternal sensitivity toward the infant, which can positively impact maternal role gratification and the mother-infant relationship,” the researchers stated.
In February, Cleveland Clinic reported on an upcoming study that explores single-dosing psilocybin as a way to treat PPD.
Psilocybin has been explored as a potential treatment for post-partum depression (PPD), which affects as many as one in seven new mothers. (iStock)
The trial, now in its second phase, focuses on RE104, a proprietary drug similar to psilocybin.
Study participants will undergo multiple physical and mental health tests.
Potential risks and limitations
Ryan Moss, chief science officer at Filament Health, a clinical-stage natural psychedelic drug development company in Canada, has emphasized the importance of administering psychedelics in a safe setting when treating mental health conditions.
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“Psychedelic experiences can sometimes feature anxiety, hallucinations and paranoia,” Moss previously told Fox News Digital.
Experts recommend that therapeutic use of psychedelics should be carefully managed by medical experts.
“Some patients using traditional psychedelics have reported experiencing adverse cardiovascular events during clinical trials.”
To mitigate these risks, Moss recommended clinical trial participants receive thorough preparation and monitoring by trained professionals during sessions.
Other factors may have also played a role in the participants’ long-term mental health benefits, noted an expert (not pictured), such as psychotherapy sessions or other antidepressants. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and Fox News’ senior medical analyst, previously interviewed two of the country’s top researchers on psychedelics: Dr. Rachel Yehuda, founder and director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mt. Sinai in New York, and Dr. Charles Marmar, director of the PTSD research program at NYU Langone.
“They agree there is therapeutic potential if very carefully studied under very strict medical guidance, but there is a huge downside in terms of unregulated recreational uses,” Siegel told Fox News Digital at the time.
“Both doctors see likely therapeutic value to psychedelics if carefully managed by medical experts,” Siegel added.
Melissa Rudy and Angelica Stabile, both of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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