logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
36m 39s

Sawbones: Mushrooms

Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
About this episode
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 psilocybin. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ 
Up next
Yesterday
Sawbones: Anyone Else Get Pee Shivers?
<p>Cozy up by the fireplace with some weird listener medical questions. What's the difference between a disease and a disorder? Where does the extra blood during pregnancy come from? Did getting my gallbladder removed change my taste buds?  Plus an update on the CDC website's rec ... Show More
49m 58s
Nov 18
Sawbones: Dopamine Detox
<p>The algorithm strikes again, this time telling Justin about a popular wellness trend known as a Dopamine Detox. Dopamine is often associated with pleasure centers and addiction, and certain corners of the internet think we are overflooded with it. But Dr. Sydnee talks about wh ... Show More
51m 24s
Nov 4
Sawbones: Monkey Escape
<p>Sometimes we like to have fun on Sawbones, like diving into a recently reported story of a truck full research animals who escaped and were infectious to humans. But what actually happened, were these monkeys infected, and what is the purpose of monkeys being infected in the n ... Show More
37m 48s
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
Oct 2024
Cultural History Of Shrooms with Andy Letcher
Today we sit down with Andy Letcher to dive into the ethnomycological history of humans and psychedelic mushrooms. Andy published the book "Shroom: a cultural history of the magic mushroom"  in 2006 and we chat about common myths and stories that have been circulating around magi ... Show More
39m 47s
Oct 21
Paul Stamets on Why We’re Not Meant to Be Sick: What Fungi Teach Us About Consciousness & the Future of Human Health
Could Mushrooms Save the World? Join the world’s most renowned mycologist Paul Stamets—author of Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats—as he dives deep into the astonishing power of fungi, mycelium, and psychedelic mushrooms to transform not just our health, but our cons ... Show More
1h 10m
Jan 2018
048: Why You Need Medicinal Mushrooms In Your Life: Interview with Four Sigmatic Founder Tero
<p>Order your Four Sigmatic Mushroom Elixirs for 15% off at foursigmatic.com/sahara Tero is such a fun-gi! Ok I'll hold back on the mushroom jokes. If you've haven't heard of medicinal mushrooms yet, you are in for a real treat. They have countless health benefits from healing ad ... Show More
45m 30s
Apr 2025
Medicine or Myth? Expert Uncovers the Secret Benefits of Fungi - With Tero Isokauppila
Fungi tends to have a negative connotation, but the truth is that the fungus kingdom plays a fundamental role in human health and in the environment. Certain fungal species contain medicinal properties, can restore health to soil, have the potential to reduce pollutants, and so m ... Show More
1h 11m
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
Aug 2024
How Fungi Could Save the World!
There is an entire world - just below our feet - that defies our conventional understanding of intelligence. It’s a superhighway of fungal interconnectedness, trillions of miles of fungal networks that enable trees to recognize their families, communicate with each other and even ... Show More
38m 45s