Microdosing is gaining popularity for many reasons, from increasing productivity and creativity to preventing and combating an array of medical concerns. My Supply Co. has been mapping the benefits of microdosing since before our inception as a company, coaching and guiding people during their microdosing journeys, and performing our own microdosing research.
Throughout that time, we’ve heard and seen first-hand many of the benefits microdosing is touted for. This has helped deepen our understanding of how and under what circumstances these benefits can be obtained.
We believe it's important to highlight that microdosing is not a panacea, but a tool you can use to accelerate your journey to awareness, maximize your healing, and take charge of your own life. It’s also important to note that the benefits reported below won’t always apply to everyone all the time.
It is important to recognize that you will experience greater benefits when microdosing with proper preparation, intention, and integration.
Below, we’ve compiled both anecdotal and empirical evidence highlighting the most commonly reported mental, physical, and spiritual benefits experienced.
What is microdosing?
Microdosing is a relatively recent phenomenon involving taking very small doses of psilocybin or other psychedelic hallucinogens. Importantly, this is a very small dose that is not enough to produce a trip or the hallucinations often associated with psilocybin. Our Psilocybin microdosing capsules are clean, results-oriented formulations that contain 25mg of Psilocybe cubensis per capsule, which gives you exact control over your dosages.
Although these doses are usually described as sub-perceptual, this is a misnomer. While the doses should be sub-hallucinogenic, it should still be perceptual. If you are not experiencing heightened acuity, sharpened focus, or more creative, divergent thinking, then you mayneed to increase your dose.
This small dose is still enough to develop a tolerance, so we recommend following a microdosing schedule to ensure you continue to reap psilocybin's benefits. We wrote a detailed guide to microdose cycling, which you can read here.
Check out this video by our Head of Marketing and Product Education for a summary of the science and benefits of microdosing Psilocybin, along with tips on how to microdose effectively.
How to Microdose Magic Mushrooms: Protocols, Dosages, and Research-Backed Benefits by @MySupplyCo
Psilocybin for preventative health: A summary of its therapeutic potential.
Psilocybin can accelerate neural growth, expand cognitive function, and enable healing faster than anything you can imagine. In clinical studies, Psilocybin has been studied to:
- stimulate neurogenesis, the growth of new nerve cells from your own stem cells
- enhance neuroplasticity, your nervous system’s ability to reorganize your nerve pathways
- amplify synaptoplasticity, making new synaptic connections by encouraging them to connect with nearby nerve cells
- activate a range of serotonin receptors
Psilocybin has a particular affinity for the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR), which is widely distributed in the central nervous system, especially in brain regions essential for learning and cognition.
In addition to their cognitive and mood benefits, 5-HT receptors play an important role in:
- suppressing inflammation,
- regulating circadian rhythms, and
- supporting energy balance, metabolism, and gut health.
In a review of 344 studies, of which 20 passed inclusion criteria, researchers demonstrated that a single psilocybin administration produced rapid changes in plasticity mechanisms on a molecular, neuronal, synaptic, and dendritic level.
That means that psilocybin was observed to promote positive structural changes in the brain on every level, which could explain its potential therapeutic capacity and pedigree status as a novel breakthrough therapy.
In the study, researchers looked for ways that the genes and proteins related to plasticity were expressed, including Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). They discovered that BDNF expression changed after a single administration of psilocybin, resulting in changed neuroplasticity and an increase in brain connectivity that outlasted the acute effects of the psychedelic, i.e. the trip itself.
However, repeated administration of a psychedelic directly stimulated neurogenesis and increased BDNF mRNA levels up to a month after treatment.
So, if you're worried about losing the benefits of microdosing while you're in the resting phase of your microdose cycle, rest easy you have no reason to be.
In another study on mice, low doses of Psilocybin decreased conditioned fear responses and increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a complex brain structure embedded deep in the temporal lobe that has a major role in learning and memory. The researchers believed this was in part mediated by serotonin 5-HT2AR activation.
Here's a breakdown of the cognitive, physical, and spiritual benefits of microdosing.
Read: What to Expect After Six Months of Microdosing: A Timeline
Cognitive benefits of microdosing.
Research and anecdotal evidence identifies a few different benefits:
- improved concentration and focus
- getting into the flow more quickly — at work, hobby, or study
- increased creativity
- increased productivity
- improved problem-solving capabilities
- increased overall awareness
- more balanced mood
- better decision-making abilities
- more positive mindset
- decrease in depression (in a range from mild symptoms to clinical depression)
- less procrastination
Physical benefits of microdosing.
- improved sleep
- increased energy
- enhanced sensory perception
- reduced premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- decreased pain
- better connection with your body
- less stuttering
- support in quitting smoking and other addictions
Spiritual benefits of microdosing.
- Increased emotional awareness
- Greater emotional connection with people
- More presence
- Increased openness
- Increased sense of wonder
- Increased sense of belonging
- Increased sense of unity
- Increased connection with spirituality and/or life mission
- Increased gratitude for life
People also reported other benefits and enjoyments of microdosing, such as the ability to control the dose and the general lack of side effects.
How long until I feel the effects of microdosing?
Most microdosers, our team included, experience immediate mood benefits within one week. If you're curious about what to expect after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months, we cover the topic separately in an in-depth article on the psilocybin microdosing timeline.
How Psilocybin enhances mood, cognition, and brain health, according to science.
Your brain naturally declines with age, but stress, poor sleep, depression, diet, and toxins can accelerate and exacerbate age-related concerns. Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders are caused by an exaggerated stress response, which is characterized by:
- low serotonin levels
- decreased BDNF expression
- impaired functional brain connectivity
- imbalalanced immune response
- oxidative stress
- chronic inflammation
All of which are involved in the development of degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and MS.
In fact, a whopping 75% – 90% of human disease is related to the activation of our inflammatory stress-regulating systems.
Certain events, such as pregnancy, labor, childbirth, post-partum, and menopause naturally trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and decreases in serotonin levels as your body adapts to its changing needs. However, other accumulating stressors can impair the body's ability to fully bring itself back to homeostasis post-partum.
For many others yet, it's a vicious cycle.
For example, poor sleep can impair functional brain connectivity and disrupt circadian processes, which can cause anxiety or depression, which can result in insomnia, which further exacerbates the neurological impact of poor sleep. Over time, it will start to impact physiological processes, decreasing your tolerance to stress and disease.
If you have trouble sleeping due to stress, depression, or anxiety, we recommend introducing Lion's Mane or CBD to your regimen. Both clinically studied ingredients are available in our Calm + Clear Duo, along with organic Psilocybin mushrooms.
Committing to a psilocybin microdosing protocol can help:
Activate Serotonin Receptors
Both psilocybin and psilocin, psilocybin's active metabolite, exhibit affinity for a range of serotonin receptors (5-HT1A/B/D/E, 2B, 5, 6, 7) with high affinity for the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR). This receptor is widely distributed in the central nervous system, especially in brain regions essential for learning and cognition.
Abnormal 5-HT2AR activity is associated with a number of psychiatric disorders and conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. As a result, several hallucinogens, antipsychotics, and antidepressants function by targeting 5-HT2ARs.
It also plays an important role in:
- learning
- memory consolidation
- spatial cognition
- fear extinction
- inflammation suppression
In addition to its cognitive benefits, it also plays an important role in suppressing inflammation, regulating circadian rhythms, and supporting energy balance, metabolism, and gut health.
Research has concluded that the development of 5-HT2AR modulators to target distinct signaling pathways and neural circuits represents a new possibility for treating emotional, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders.
As a 5-HT2AR agonist, Psilocybin is studied to:
- reduce aggressive or impulsive behaviours
- promote pro-social behaviours
- significantly reduce anxiety
- enhance cognitive flexibility and creative thinking
Long-term health benefits may include improved energy, metabolism, gut health, and sleep.
Promote Neurogenesis, Neuroplasticity, and Synaptic Plasticity
Psilocybin has been studied to:
- stimulate neurogenesis, the growth of new nerve cells from your own stem cells
- enhance neuroplasticity, your nervous system’s ability to reorganize your nerve pathways
- amplify synaptoplasticity, making new synaptic connections by encouraging them to connect with nearby nerve cells
It does this two ways:
- Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is associated with neurogenesis, particularly in the pre-frontal cortex. This part of the brain regulates higher executive functions, emotional regulation, and logical thinking.
- Inducing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) expression, resulting in changed neuroplasticity and an increase in brain connectivity.
BDNF is a key molecule involved in plastic changes related to learning and memory. It modulates your neurotransmitters and plays an important role in brain cell survival, growth, and plasticity, which is essential for learning and memory.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor also regulates glucose and energy metabolism. Decreased levels of BDNF are associated with neurodegenerative diseases with neuronal loss, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Huntington's disease.
Thus, by increasing BDNF expression, Psilocybin may be useful in the prevention and management of several neurological and non-neurological diseases, including diabetes mellitus.
Modulates Amygdala Activity
In a 2013 study, mice injected with low psilocybin doses extinguished cued fear conditioning significantly more rapidly than high-doses of psilocybin or saline-treated (placebo) mice. Research concluded that the drastically reduced fear response may be mediated by psilocybin's effects on the amygdala, which is known to mediate the perception of fear.
Some studies indicate that patients with depression show heightened amygdala responses to fearful faces, and that treatment with SSRIs inhibits conditioned amygdala responses. Recent evidence indicates that, with psychological support, psilocybin may be effective in treating depression.
In a clinical trial, researchers hypothesized that amygdala responses to emotional faces would be altered after treatment with psilocybin. In this open-label study, 20 individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe, treatment-resistant depression, underwent two separate dosing sessions with psilocybin. Psychological support was provided before, during and after these sessions and 19 completed fMRI scans one week prior to the first session and one day after the second and last.
Group results revealed rapid and enduring improvements in depressive symptoms post psilocybin. Improved responses to fearful and happy faces were observed in the right amygdala post-treatment, and differences in amygdala increases between fearful versus neutral faces also showed improvements.
This is significant for a few reasons:
Unlike SSRIs, which inhibits amygdala activity, psilocybin with psychological support was associated with increased amygdala responses to emotional stimuli. This suggests fundamental differences in these treatments' therapeutic actions — while SSRIs "mute" negative emotions, psilocybin allows patients to confront and work through them.
Based on the present results, the researchers proposed that taking psilocybin with psychological support is a treatment approach that potentially revives emotional responsiveness in depression, enabling patients to reconnect with their emotions.
Microdosing and the placebo effect.
Skeptics attribute the benefits of microdosing to the placebo effect. Matthew Johnson, a researcher who works with psilocybin and other hallucinogens at Johns Hopkins University, states that the scientific basis that microdosing is more than a placebo effect isn’t very solid right now; “the reported benefits of microdosing are credible and very interesting. But the claim that everything coincides and goes well, and you’re in a good mood, and you’re in the right flow, well, we all have those kinds of days. Even without pharmaceutical help”, he adds. “If you expect to get days like that, you’re more likely to get that,” he continues. “It’s actually not that different from the feeling you get from a very low dose of amphetamine or some other stimulant.”
Scholars like Dr. James Fadiman argue that Johnson is a conscientious skeptic for thinking that microdosing may have a placebo-like reaction, but agrees that further research is necessary. Fadiman believes that the benefits from microdosing are more than just a placebo after analyzing over 1,850 microdosing reports he has received.
The majority demonstrate that psilocybin major benefits — physically, mentally, and spiritually — and their experiences are nearly identical. These people come from all over the world, have never spoken to each other, nor have they influenced each other in their experiences.
For Dr. James Fadiman, this is enough proof that the benefits of microdosing are more than just a placebo effect.
Read more from our Journal: The Ultimate Guide to Magic Mushroom Microdosing
Are there disadvantages to microdosing?
Out of the more than 1,850 reports Dr. James Fadiman and Sophia Korb have analyzed for their published paper “Might Microdosing Psychedelics Be Safe and Beneficial? An Initial Exploration,” less than 4% of respondents expressed that they did not have a positive experience with microdosing. The potential negative or unpleasant effects of microdosing mentioned in these reports include:
- Fatigue, potentially due to physiological changes or as an indicator of underlying emotional or physical needs
- Tolerance (needing more of the substance each time to get the same effect) – It has not been scientifically proven yet, but Fadiman’s findings show that people report tolerance when microdosing every day instead of following one of the established microdosing protocols
- Dealing with changes in your consciousness and your sensitivity can be challenging
- Other risks of microdosing include nausea, headaches, or increased anxiety
Read more from our Journal: Microdose Cycling: What It Is and Why You Should Be Doing It
A note on microdosing.
Psilocybin is an outstanding gold-star ingredient for proactive and reactive health. However, we understand that each body is unique and will respond in different ways to plant and mushroom extracts, including psilocybin.
If you are otherwise healthy, do not expect immediate transformational results from adding psilocybin to your regimen. Preventative care is not about the present, but committing to our health and preparing for tomorrow.
We want all our customers to be satisfied. If you have any questions, please reach out to our wonderful Happiness Team at [email protected] and we will work with you to find a solution.
