Subject: Make your mushrooms better?
Lines: 46

There was a thread going on here a couple of weeks ago about the 
advantages of chewing mushrooms for a long time, and here's something
that may lead to some interesting experiments:

I read an article about what things may effect psilocybin absorption:
(this is a rather small article, and it's rather old - I have yet to find 
something more detailed).  Interesting quote (any errors are probably due 
to my poor transcription):

   "Since the Mg+2 ion is known to activate alkaline phosphatase, its
   effect was also studied with psilocybin as substrate.  It was found
   that at concentrations of 0.35% MgSO4, psilocin and inorganic phosphate
   liberated increased about 30% above controls."

(Horita and Weber, Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 106:32 (1961).)
(also from several reference sources that I can't quote now: 
(included for background)
psilocybin is stable, but not psychoactive, and is converted in the body 
to psilocin, which is NOT stable, but is psychoactive.  This explains
why fresh mushrooms are better than dried mushrooms: the mushroom
produces psilocin and psilocybin, but during drying (or ageing) the 
psilocin is oxidized to non-interesting products.  Also, this points 
to the fact that the drying and storage methods are very important - 
if the psilocin can be protected from oxidation, the mushrooms may be 
more potent later on.  But more on that later maybe)

"So what?", you may ask.  Well, if we had reason to believe either 
1) psilocybin is eliminated from the system without being converted to 
psilocin (the psychoactive molecule), or
2) conversion to psilocin faster makes a better trip, 
then taking MgSO4 (in the form of OTC indigestion medicine like Tums
or whatever, just make sure that it's magnesium, not calcium or aluminium)
before eating the psilocybin/psilocin containing mushrooms may very well 
make a stronger trip.

Why doesn't someone try taking some indigestion tablets and see if 
it makes any difference?
(No mushrooms in this part of the world yet.  Couple of months...)

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