Opinion – Psychedelic Turn: Obesity enters the crosshairs of the psychedelic panacea

The list of candidates for medical applications of mind-altering substances, such as psilocybin from so-called “magic” mushrooms, has grown a little longer with the inclusion of obesity. Good news for the 13% of the world’s adult population with a BMI over 30, or 650 million people?

Perhaps. For now there are only studies with animals, and not all of them indicate a beneficial effect. But the appetite of some companies has already been whetted by the prospect of grabbing a slice of this effervescent market, boosted by the ubiquity of ultra-processed sweets.

There are plausible reasons to investigate whether these compounds could help people lose weight. A recent article by the University of Copenhagen supports the hypothesis of researching psychedelics against obesity in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

Classic psychedelics (psilocybin, mescaline, LSD and dimethyltryptamine – the DMT of ayahuasca) act prominently on serotonin receptors. This neurotransmitter, which is also the target of drugs for depression, is involved in several functions, including the regulation of food intake,

Special attention is paid to the 5HT receptor_2A, which has great affinity with psychedelic compounds. There seems to be the key to increasing mental flexibility and the formation of new brain connections (neuroplasticity), which is speculated to be at the root of the already proven antidepressant effect of psilocybin and ayahuasca, for example, although with the limitation of studies based on groups small of patients.

There are observational studies pointing out that psychedelic users tend to lead a healthier life and have a lower BMI. It is worth warning that correlation does not imply causation: it cannot be excluded that people with healthy habits are attracted to psychedelics, for example those who love hiking in nature, surfing or cycling.

Up until five decades ago, before prohibition imposed by the War on Drugs in the 1970s, mind-alterers were studied to treat substance abuse, in particular alcohol. Today, the methodological quality of those studies is questioned, but more rigorous clinical tests are indicating that psychedelics have therapeutic potential against chemical dependence.

Substance abuse and food abuse have much in common, as addictive drugs and ultra-processed, high-calorie foods impact reward and motivation areas of the brain. Anyone who suffers from binge eating and was or is a smoker knows well that food can be a drug as powerful as nicotine.

These days, with all the hype surrounding the psychedelic renaissance, it only takes one plausible idea to launch a startup or file for patents. It matters little that applications are possible for compounds used for centuries or millennia by indigenous populations, ideas that in principle do not constitute innovation worthy of intellectual property protection.

It would not be different with obesity, a gold mine that has already produced several races for supposedly miraculous drugs. Suffice it to mention the Xenical (orlistat) and Ozempic (semaglutide) fads.

In March, the company NeonMind released data from a study with mice indicating that psilocybin induces weight loss, especially with loss of visceral fat. However, further research with rodents found no effect.

Before anyone gets excited and goes out picking zebu mushrooms in the pasture after the rain, in an effort to lose weight, a word of warning: not everything that works for rats has the same effect on people. Psychic life and eating habits in the two species are quite different, to say the least.

Clinical trials of psychedelics are underway with humans with eating disorders, yes, but not with obesity per se, just with anorexia and bulimia. It’s better to take it easy and wait for the science. It walks more slowly than the galloping contemporary anxiety, which many try to appease with sweets.

Capitalist voracity is one of the threats to the psychedelic renaissance. By inflating the list of possible biomedical applications, eager investors and scientists risk unleashing a barrage of shots in the foot, with successive negative results and disappointment in the public. There are no miracles in medicine, and even fewer panaceas for curbing the worldwide obesity epidemic.

Before publishing his best seller on psychedelics, “How to Change Your Mind” (2018), author Michael Pollan wrote great books on food. And he recommended three rules for a healthy diet: eat food (what your grandmother would recognize as food); not so much; preferably vegetables.

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To learn more about the history and new developments of science in this area, including in Brazil, look for my book “Psiconautas – Viagens com a Ciência Psychedelica Brasileira”.

Be sure to also see the reports from the series “A Ressurreição da Jurema”:

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrissima/2022/07/reporter-conta-experiencia-de-inalar-dmt-psicodelico-em-teste-contra-depressao.shtml

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrissima/2022/07/da-caatinga-ao-laboratorio-cientistas-investigam-efeito-antidepressão-de-psicodelico.shtml

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrissima/2022/07/cultos-com-alucinogeno-da-jurema-florescem-no-nordeste.shtml

It should be remembered that psychedelics are still experimental therapies and certainly do not constitute a panacea for all psychic disorders, nor should they be the object of self-medication. Speak with your therapist or doctor before venturing into the area.