According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is a leading reason behind preventable death in the US. Globally, 7 million deaths come from tobacco use, with 480,000 deaths in the US. Moreover, an estimation suggests second-hand smoke causes 41,000 deaths per year.
Although different tobacco replacement and pharmacological therapies are present, the situation remains more or less the same. The figures from CDC suggest that more than half of the smokers try to quit smoking yet fail in their attempts. The success rate is only 10%.
So, is there anything that could support smokers in quitting smoking? Yes, mushroom tincture might do the required magic. Here is what you should know about the compound.
What are Mushroom Tinctures?
The so-called ‘Magic Mushroom‘ is the new buzz in the market, and it is not only about shiitakes, buttons, or portobellos mushrooms. The mushrooms that were a part of traditional medicines again rose to trend during 2018s. You can now find manufacturers turning several exotic mushroom varieties, such as Chaga, reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps, into an extract, powder, mushroom tinctures, etc.
In 2017, the mushroom sales in the US were nearly $5 bn. People have begun focusing on the possible health benefits of mushrooms rather than their earthy flavor. The Mud\Wtr website mentions that cordyceps enhance endurance and vitality, Chaga mushrooms offer mood upliftment and energy, reishi fight with cancer and tumor growth, and lion’s mane is for developing brain function.
Could the mushroom tincture help with smoking withdrawal? Research says it can support abstaining from smoking. But before going into the science and research behind the effectiveness of mushroom tincture, have a clear understanding of it.
You might have heard of the work extracts. While most people consider tinctures and extract the same thing, there is a difference between the two. To prepare mushroom extracts, soak the fungi in solvents, such as water, vinegar, or alcohol. On the other hand, tinctures are specifically mushrooms soaked in alcohol. So, you can say that tinctures are a type of extract. These mushroom tinctures might help you get over your smoking habits.
Research on Mushroom for Quitting Smoking
While there are studies on the benefits of Mushrooms for quitting smoking, the most talked about is the one by Johns Hopkins researchers. Here are some significant facts about that research.
- The research revealed that a small group of participants successfully dropped their smoking habits after carefully using psilocybin, the compound in ‘magic mushrooms. The participants had failed in their earlier attempts to quit smoking. But they did it after this treatment program under cognitive behavioral therapy.
- The success rate of psilocybin came out at 80% in the study. The associate professor in the psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, mentions that the rate is considerably higher than the success rate of most other smoking withdrawal methods. Johnson, also the co-author of the study, adds that the success rate of varenicline, one of the most popular drugs for quitting smoking, is 35% after its consumption for six months. Several other treatments, such as behavioral and nicotine replacement therapies, have a 30% or less success rate.
- Johnson mentions the working of psilocybin, “Quitting smoking isn’t a simple biological reaction to psilocybin, as with other medications that directly affect nicotine receptors. When administered after careful preparation and in a therapeutic context, psilocybin can lead to deep reflection about one’s life and spark motivation to change.”
- The study included 15 participants, five women and ten men. All the participants were mentally and physically healthy. The average age of participants was 51, with a smoking habit of 31 years. They consumed an average of 19 cigarettes a day and have tried several times to quit smoking. Among 15 members, ten have earlier used hallucinogens in past years ( the most recent use, before the study, was nearly 27 years ago).
- The day each participant was ready to quit smoking, the researchers administered a pill of psilocybin. Subsequently, more sessions of psilocybin happened two and eight weeks later. During each session, members from researchers were closely observing the participants in a comfortable environment. They encouraged participants to focus on their inner shelf and rest as much as possible.
The researchers believe that psilocybin might support quitting smoking by breaking the addictive cycle of behaviors and thoughts developed via years of smoking.
Rob Roscow, co-founder, and CSO of Medicine, told Analytical Cannabis, “It’s the behavioral addiction that’s being addressed. That’s why we see with smoking such strong efficacy months and years out in a timeframe and why that’s so different compared to using a patch, [going] cold turkey, or Chantix type quitting regimes. It’s really because the psilocybin, plus the therapy that’s being paired with it, is acting to reset people’s mental behaviors and habits and thought patterns around their addictive substance or behavior of choice. In contrast, the traditional therapies are only dealing with cravings, with physical withdrawal symptoms, these sorts of things.”
The study by Johns Hopkins medicine was successful and revealed that mushroom tincture could help smokers quit. This success invites more researchers to study the trending compound. So, before the results of these studies come out, you might use these magic mushrooms and give your attempt to quit smoking another try.
What are the Side-Effects of Mushroom Tinctures
While mushroom tinctures might help you quit smoking, there is always another side. Medicines contain alcohol, which means young children, pregnant women, and individuals with alcohol-abuse issues should avoid tinctures. They could go for some other mushroom extracts that do not use alcohol.
Conclusion
Tobacco has claimed millions of lives. Deaths are usual when people do not know about the danger, but tobacco claims life after announcing it. Undoubtedly, many people ask How can refraining from smoking benefit an individual’s health? They try to quit the habit but the lack of support or motivation pushes them over smoking again. With mushroom tinctures, you could resolve these issues. However, it is vital to take professional help. You can combine therapies and tinctures. Therapies will keep you away from smoking, and mushroom tincture could motivate you for treatment.