Can Microdosing Really Change Your Brain? (2023)

People may choose to microdose psychedelics for many reasons: to increase productivity, to improve mental health, or to explore consciousness without the superior experience of a full psychedelic tripStamets Stackis an increasingly popular microdosing protocol pioneered by renowned mycologist Paul Stamets. Stamets is the author of six books on mushrooms and was also featured in the Netflix documentary.Fantastic mushrooms(2019). Still, he is considered an amateur mycologist because he has not risen through the traditional academic ranks. Nonetheless, Stamets has been studying and working with medicinal mushrooms since the 1970's and is now one of the most respected mycologists in the world.

Der Paul Stamets Microdosing Stack

The Stamets Stack combines three components: A microdose of psilocybin mushrooms along with lion's mane mushroom and niacin. Stamets designed the stack to improve cognitive function andbring a lot of benefitsin the context of neurogenesis - although his hypothesis has not been verified by a medical professional, nor has the protocol been tested in rigorous clinical trials considered best practice in nutritional science and public health. Claimed benefits of the Stamets Stack include:

• less anxiety and depression
• stabilized mood
• increased creativity
• Regeneration of visual and auditory neurons
• reduced irritability
• Relieving PTSD Symptoms
• reduced incidence of neuropathy
• increased ability to socialize, empathize, and feel courageous
• mediated effects of aging on the brain
• increased self-confidence
• greater sense of connectedness

To date, we have limited - but promising - research on microdosing. In a study published in 2013, laboratory mice that had been previously conditioned to have a PTSD-like fear response were able to do soovercome learned traumaafter taking microdoses of psilocybin. A preliminary study from 2019 looked at thisadvantages and challengesof microdosing and concluded that the area is indeed promising enough to warrant further research.

Anecdotally, a quick search through YouTube videos and psychedelic message boards turns up dozens of first-hand accounts from psychonauts and mental health advocates of the Stack's ability to promote physical health and mental-emotional well-being.

What's in the Stamets Stack?

Some of the specifics of the Stamets Stack have evolved over the years, as reflected in Stamets'various patent applications. Overall, Stamets believes that the components of the stack work better together and cites one possibilityEntourage effectof compounds similar to those thought to exist for cannabis.

Lion's Mane Mushrooms

lion's mane (hericium erinaceus) is a large, swollen, white-colored fungus nicknamed the "Beard Tooth Fungus". In Japan - where it was said to have been used by Buddhist monks - it goes by the name "Mountain Priest Mushroom". The fungus is well knownSupporting brain health by stimulating nerve growth factor(NGF), which stimulates the production, growth and maintenance of neurons. Because neurons tend to become stagnant and atrophy with age, Lion's Mane has interesting potential as an anti-aging supplement. Research shows that this is possiblehelp slow or prevent dementia. Stamets has called Lion's Mane an "intelligence mushroom" that he believes could actually make us smarter.

Lion's mane — which may also have anti-inflammatory and heart health benefits — is perfectly legal, relatively inexpensive, and available at health food stores and online. Including it as part of the Stamets Stack protocol can amplify and enhance the long-term benefits of psilocybin, the formula's most famous ingredient. In fact, Stamets dubbed Lion's Mane the "second smart mushroom" when he delivered the keynote address at the 2020 Bioneers conference. It is only surpassed by psilocybin itself,he claims, emphasizing Lion's Mane's importance in this nootropic stack because it "enhances psilocybin's ability to induce neurogenesis."

Stamets notes that Lion's Mane products may be most beneficial from mycelium (the underground parts of the plant) rather than the aerial part known as the fruiting body.

Read:Long-term effects of microdosing

Psilocybin-Pilze

Of the 100+ varieties of psilocybin mushrooms — also known as “magic mushrooms” or simply “shrooms” —psilocybe cubensisis most common. Psilocybin is the primary psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, although the compound itself is not psychoactive. Rather, psilocybin is converted into the more active compoundPsilocinthrough the human liver. The latter molecule is responsible for the mind-blowing effects of mushrooms. Regardless, psychoactive mushrooms have a long history of human use; They were used as a spiritual aid in pre-Columbian cultures across the Americas. In addition, the speculative "Stoned-Affen-Hypothese' suggests that early hominids in Africa ate psilocybin mushrooms, which caused rapid brain expansion, which in turn contributed to the evolution of Homo sapiens.

Johns Hopkins University has studied psilocin for its potentialhelp solveDepression and anxiety at the end of life. This is also shown by a newly published studysignificant improvementin people with major depression after just two therapeutic psilocybin sessions. Other research suggests that psilocin may also play a helpful role in treating addictionAlcoholand tobacco – with onean impressive 60 percentof participants who remained tobacco-free at 12 months in the latter study. The compound is known to replace serotonin, the best-known neurotransmitter linked to its role in relieving depression and anxiety.

Much of the attention surrounding psilocybin's therapeutic properties has focused on macrodosing - large doses of dried shrooms in the two to five gram range. However, for the Stamets Stack, Paul Stamets recommends using a microdose down to a low dose of psilocybin: 0 .1 to 1 gram. A low dose (0.5 to 1 gram) can produce some psychedelic cognition effects. Therefore, it is not recommended to take this dosage during a working day or when you have urgent tasks. Regardless, Stamets has high hopes for the therapeutic and human potential of the psychedelic,say thatnaturally derived psilocin makes you "smarter, kinder and braver".

Some prefer microdosing psilocybin. AMicrodosisis often only 0.1 to 0.2 grams of dried mushroom. However, it is important to note that dosage will vary depending on a variety of factors such as body weight, type of mushroom consumed,etc.Some consumers may find that dosages up to 0.5 grams are considered a microdose. However, the higher the dosage, the more likely you are to experience mild to strong psychedelic effects.

Read:Mushroom Dosing: What is the “Right” Amount of Mushrooms?

Niacin

Niacin (vitamin B3) is also known as nicotineacid. Its primary physiological role is to help your body convert the calories in the food you eat into usable energy. It also plays a role in the health of your nervous system, digestive system, and skin. The vitamin may also improve the absorption of psilocybin when used in the Stamets Stack - as suggested by Stamets Stack advocates.

When taken at the amount recommended in the Stamets Stack protocol (100 to 200 milligrams), niacin produces an uncomfortable flushing effect characterized by redness and tingling on the face, neck, and arms that can last 10 to 30 minutes. Flushing is caused by niacin's vasodilator properties. The skin turns red as more blood flows into the capillaries. Temporary sensations of heat, itching, and discomfort may accompany this effect. The niacin flush is both a harmless side effect of larger doses; For the purposes of the protocol, avoid the “no-flush” variant of the vitamin.

Due to niacin's role as a vasodilator, it's believed that it distributes the benefits of psilocybin more thoroughly throughout the body, including the nerves at the end of the peripheral nervous system — where, according to Stamets, most of neurogenesis actually occurs. Niacin also transports GABA (a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the regulation of anxiety and restlessness) across the blood-brain barrier. Stamets states in a 2018 patent filing that its presence in the stack “enhances neurogenic benefits' by psilocybin. Due to its initially uncomfortable side effect of hot flashes, the ultimate purpose of niacin as part of the Stamets Stack is to prevent overuse.

Note that the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of niacin is 14 to 16 milligrams and that the stack calls for a much higher dose. Research suggests that niacin is unlikely to be toxic in healthy adults unless taken in high doses.ab 2.000 mg pro Tag. Although, asmentioned in a Stamets patentMedical professionals can monitor patients who take more than 500 milligrams daily. The adage “start low, go slow, stay low” fits well with niacin and this protocol; high dosages are a likely culprit for potential unwanted side effects.

Warning: Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, including but not limited to liver or kidney disease, B3 vitamin sensitivity, alcoholism, and potential pharmaceutical interactions should consult a physician before taking large doses of niacin.

Stamets stack dosages

Paul Stametsrecommendsdifferent dosage ranges for each element included in the Stamets microdosing stack. The following guide is based on a person weighing 74 kg:

• Psilocybin Mushrooms:0.1 to 1 gram dried mushrooms (with probable perception effects near 0.5 grams and above)
• lion's mane: 5 to 20 grams fresh (or 50 to 200 milligrams of extract containing Erinacin and Hericenone)
• Niacin: 101 to 200 milligrams

In part, the dosage should be determined by body weight; Individuals weighing less than 154 pounds should start on the lower side of the scale, while those weighing more than 154 pounds may benefit from a dose closer to the high end of the recommended range. In any case, it's a good idea to start low with any psychedelic substance to learn your body's responsiveness to the compounds and how they affect you. It should also be noted that there are natural variations in the psilocybin content of shrooms - some more than others - and these differences can be further complicated by the way the shrooms were grown and stored.

Paul Stamets' microdosing protocol

The Stamets Stack comes with two slightly varying microdosing schedules. At Stamets' debut appearance at the Joe Rogan Experience in 2017, he recommended a repetitive regimen consisting of five days of microdosing followed by two days off. In 2019, his advice had changed to reflect a four-day on, three-day off model. In both cases, taking the stack two to three days a week anecdotally reduces tolerance to psilocybin.

Accounts also vary as to the recommended duration of the nootropics stacking routine; Some microdosers and psychonauts continue on the 5:2 or 4:3 plan for extended periods of time — even indefinitely — while others discuss using the stack for a month at a time before taking a longer tolerance reset of two to 10 minutes do four weeks.

Read:WHat you should know about microdosing for anxiety

Other microdosing protocols

The Stamets Stack can be contrasted with another established microdosing protocol developed by James Fadiman. Fadiman introduced his own microdosing protocol in his 2011 book,The Psychedelics Explorer Guide. The Fadiman protocol, touted for promoting productivity, focus, and emotional regulation, involves microdosing a psychedelic compound every fourth day. Fadiman's protocol developed for LSD was expanded to include psilocybin.

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