logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
6m 13s

Mushrooms: Medicine or myth?

BBC Radio
About this episode

Today the medicinal mushroom industry is big business. But are there actually benefits?

Up next
Jul 30
The Enhanced Games
What would the world of athletics look like if athletes were allowed to take drugs? Pippa and Neil discuss the Enhanced Games. Learn English from authentic BBC programme clips. Get a free worksheet, quiz and transcript for this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/engli ... Show More
6m 37s
Jul 23
Children in warzones
The most recent figure from 2024 says that 520 million children are living in conflict zones. That's about one in every five children worldwide. Some of the discussions in this episode will be about death and trauma. Neil and Becca hear from a journalist who has spent some time w ... Show More
6m 44s
Jul 16
What's in a footballer's brain?
Football players are faster than ever before. But in a game where every tiny decision counts, elite clubs are turning to neuroscience to understand how players can think, decide and perform even faster. Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.Get a free wo ... Show More
6m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2025
Episode 302: Mushrooms – The Medicinal Kind, not the Hallucinogenic Ones
Mushrooms can be used in omelettes, taken as a hallucinogen…but what about taking mushrooms for heart health or to fight cancer? Dr. Nedd has never liked mushrooms, but is now reconsidering his views on them after learning about what medicinal mushrooms can do. Here’s what Dr. Ne ... Show More
22m 56s
Aug 2024
Sawbones: Mushrooms
<p>It wouldn't be Twenty Fungalore without talking about the alleged medicinal properties of mushrooms, which are a fungus and not a plant at all. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk to Cleveland about common fungi used as medical supplements, from the parasitic Cordyceps to the infamous ... Show More
36m 39s
Nov 2023
Do You Need to 'Trip' for Psychedelics to Work as Medicine?
Psychedelic researchers are engaged in heated debate over whether the mind-altering effects of the drugs are necessary for realizing their therapeutic potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
14m 47s
Jan 2024
Mushroom Power
Many mushrooms have medicinal properties that may surprise you. This episode features audio from: Dietary Sources of the “Longevity Vitamin” Ergothioneine Medicinal Mushrooms for Cancer Survival White Button Mushrooms for Prostate Cancer Visit the video pages for all sources and ... Show More
16m 23s
Nov 2022
Can a substance found in magic mushrooms alleviate depression?
Can a substance found in magic mushrooms alleviate depression? To discuss this with Pat was Luke O’Neill, Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Immunology, Trinity College . 
6m 27s
Jan 2023
Is Microdosing Mushrooms Magic for Your Health? (ENCORE) | 45
Psychedelics were originally designed to blow your mind, but new studies suggest they can also help fix it! Can small doses of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) help people manage depression and anxiety better than pharmaceutical remedies? Host Nikki Boyer, Dr. Matt Johnson (professor ... Show More
41m 1s
Nov 2015
The Mushroom Underground
They’re a kingdom unto themselves, neither animal, vegetable, nor mineral. They count among their number both the world’s largest organism and millions of microscopic, single-celled creatures. And yet not only have they been an important—and delicious—food source for thousands of ... Show More
39m 40s
Nov 2024
Mushrooms on Empathy with Cory R. Weissman
Do mushrooms make you more empathetic and social? Today we sit down with Cory Weissman to discuss his latest paper "The effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior: a proposed mechanism for enduring antidepressant effects". We talk about the general benefits of mushroo ... Show More
55m 39s
Feb 2022
Magic Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms provide some of the most amazing nutrients, not found anywhere else in the plant kingdom. This episode features audio from Medicinal Mushrooms for Cancer Survival and White Button Mushrooms for Prostate Cancer. Visit the video pages for all sources and doctor’s notes re ... Show More
11m 26s
Aug 2022
The power of fungi
Tim Hayward takes a journey into the world of fungi. There’s a global wave of interest in the potential uses of fungi right now - and businesses are catching on and playing their part.Tim starts at the Fungarium in Kew Gardens, the world’s biggest collection of dried fungal speci ... Show More
19m 15s