Health

Mindful Use: Quick Guide to Magic Mushrooms

But some people have abused certain types for their hallucinogenic and euphoric effects. Psilocybin and psilocin are the hallucinogenic compounds found in magic mushrooms. These types of mushrooms are endemic in South America and Mexico. You can also find them in the southern and northwest regions in the U.S.

Many indigenous communities and cultures use wild and medicinal mushrooms for native and religious rites. There are more than a hundred species of them all over the world. There are shroom species that offer adaptogenic effects that improve one’s brain health. And there are species that help one become more mindful, helping manage their brain activities.

What Are The Benefits of Magic Mushrooms

People use magic mushrooms for their brain activity enhancements. But recent clinical studies have shown that it offers a lot of medical benefits.

Studies have shown that magic mushrooms were effective in treating terminally ill patients. Also, using them helped patients cope with feelings of existential distress. Furthermore, psilocybin showed promising results in treating depressive symptoms.

There’s still a stigma when it comes to magic mushrooms. It is still considered a Schedule I drug by the federal government. But things are changing as more people are now becoming aware of its benefits.

Individuals and organizations are also campaigning to decriminalize its use. Some states in the U.S. have already done so. With the recent improvements, the future looks bright for entheogenic substances.

magic mushrooms

What Do Magic Mushrooms Look Like?

Magic mushrooms usually have long and slender stems, which are often white or greyish. Their caps have dark gills on the underside. But, when you dry these mushrooms, they turn into a reddish rusty colour with some off-white areas.

There are times that poisonous mushrooms are mistaken as magic mushrooms. So it would be best not to go out on your own and forage for them by yourself, especially if you have no background in identifying them.

How Can You Consume It?

Most of the time, you can ingest these shrooms orally. But, you can mix it with other food because it can have a bitter and unpalatable taste. You can also drink it as tea.

What Are The Effects?

People use magic mushrooms for their hallucinogenic effects. The psychological reaction will include visual and auditory hallucinations. There are also physical effects involved. Here’s a list of the most common things you will experience:

intensified sensory perception
mixed senses like hearing colours or seeing sounds
detachment from the current self or environment
increased body temperature, sweating

But, when you misuse these mushrooms, you can experience horrible side effects. For example, when you overdose on magic mushrooms, you will experience these:

nausea
vomiting
stomach cramps
panic
paranoia
disturbing images and sounds
psychosis

Some call these the effects of a “bad trip,” and these adverse effects can last a lifetime. It’s also possible for someone to mistake a poisonous mushroom for a magic mushroom. When this happens, mushroom diarrhea occurs, according to magicmushrooms101.com, and you will feel the following symptoms:

mild to severe diarrhea
vomiting
gastrointestinal irritation
kidney damage

Accidental consumption of poisonous mushrooms can lead to toxicity and worse death. So when you experience these symptoms, you need to seek emergency medical care.

Also, continuous use of magic mushrooms can lead to mushroom tolerance. This means that even when you increase your dosage, the effects remain the same. When this happens, cross-tolerance also occurs.

Magic Mushrooms

What Is Cross-Tolerance?

Cross tolerance means you have reached a certain tolerance level to psilocybin and psilocin. But, even when you increase your dosage, you will still feel the same effect. So you may want to try other hallucinogenic substances such as mescaline from peyote or LSD. But, doing so will have the same result.

How Long Does The Trip Last?

Usually, the entire trip can last for eight to twelve hours. But, it will still depend on how you introduced psilocybin or psilocin in your body. If you ear it as it is, the effects will kick in faster. But when you ingest it in combination with other foods, it can take some time.

According to research, the drug can stay in your system for up to three days. But several factors can affect this, such as:

metabolic rate
age
weight
medical condition
drug tolerance
other medications used
other drugs used

How To Avoid Risks

The best and only way to ensure that you will have a good trip and not a bad one is by being responsible. Here are some tips that you may find helpful:

Do not ingest mushrooms foraged outdoors without proper verification.
Do not forage mushrooms on your own, especially when you do not have a background in identifying the different species. The risk of you getting poisonous variety can be pretty high.
Get from a reliable source. You can do this online. Or you can ask organizations that promote the use of entheogenic substances.
Plan and prepare your session.
Be in the right state of mind and environment when making a trip.
Start small and start slow. Do not misuse and overdose on magic mushrooms, especially if it’s your first time.
Have an accountability buddy who will watch over you as you go on a trip. This person should be sober throughout the session.
Record your experience. If you had a good trip, you could recreate it by doing the same steps. If you had a bad trip, you could use the information to adjust for the next session.

Conclusion

Magic mushrooms have a lot of benefits, but carelessness can cause problems. So, proper handling and use of magic mushrooms are essential, so you can enjoy and have a good trip.

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Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP