Native fungi are a highly prized food among the indigenous peoples of various ethnic groups, from Central America to South America. For generations these diverse ethnic populations have collected and prepared native mushrooms (cooked, wrapped in leaves, or roasted) as an important source of protein. In the absence of fish and game meat, they make up for the absence of animal protein by consuming mushrooms.
The Yanomami, who live in the northern region of the Amazon and are considered to be one of the largest indigenous peoples in Brazil, consume at least 15 species of mushrooms belonging to the Sanöma group that blossom from "urihi", the forested land.
These natural organisms also feature in the art of this ethnic group. The përɨsɨ, the indigenous name for the Marasmius yanomami species, is a raw material used by Yanomami women to decorate their baskets. The species, a "rhizomorph" – meaning "root-shaped" –, is found throughout the region, and according to science, besides the Yanomami, only birds are known to use this fungus, as a building material for their nests in the rainforest.
Protecting the Yanomami also means ensuring the continuity of this sociocultural legacy. As Brazilians, we must keep them alive and healthy, as with all other indigenous populations. Protecting them also entails safeguarding their culture and ensuring the forest remains standing.
In the wall, you can see some pieces of Yanomami basketry
It was indigenous knowledge that presented the world with evidence that fungi, especially mushrooms, could be used for other purposes than purely food.
Paintings dating back to the 16th century, from the Mesoamerican region – currently home to Mexico and Guatemala, among others – depict a sacred ceremony where deities are consumming sacred mushrooms at dawn.
Another record from the same period is that of Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún, during the Spanish occupation of America. In an ethnographic study conducted in Mexico, he makes several references to the "teonanacatl", a mushroom considered sacred to the indigenous people of the region and consumed in ritualistic ceremonies. Centuries later it was discovered that the species used in these rituals contained psilocybin, a chemical substance found mainly in mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus.
Photo: 16th century pictographic representation by Mixtecs, indigenous peoples who lived where Mexico is today, portraying the mushroom ceremony. Credit: Hernandez- Santiago et al. (2017)
Psilocybin is a molecule very similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin and thus binds to the same receptors as serotonin. Scientific evidence indicates that it deactivates the default neural network and creates pathways for new neural connections, correcting certain neurological deficits associated with mental disorders like depression.
Using small doses, studies show that psilocybin psychologically relaxes neural networks, and alters the sense of time and introspection, triggering thoughts and ideas that are already in the mind, even if unconsciously.
The substance was negatively stigmatized in the early 1970s, resulting in the United States government banning research; something that generated a global wave of disapproval. This prevented any progress in terms of expanding related medical knowledge, with studies only resumming in the 2000s.
The video alongside provides a better understanding of one of the psilocybin studies conducted in Brazil. The content is presented by Professor Suédina Maria de Lima Silva, PhD, from CERTBIO, the Northeastern Biomaterial Development Laboratory, linked to the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the State of Paraíba.
Video presented by Professor Suédina Maria de Lima Silva, PhD, from CERTBIO, the Northeastern Biomaterial Development Laboratory, linked to the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the State of Paraíba.
Plants and fungi with therapeutic and psychedelic properties have long been consumed by human beings throughout history. However, the world only began to wake up to the therapeutic effects of mushrooms in the mid-1950s, when mushroom ceremonies were held by Maria Sabina, a member of the Mazatec people of Mexico, stirring international media interest. The substance is biologically safe, non-toxic and proven not to lead to dependence.
In studies conducted by scientists, psilocybin presents high rates of efficacy in treating extreme cases of psychological disorders, such as chronic cigarette smoking, resistant forms of depression and existential anxiety in terminal patients; success rates are much higher than any other current medical intervention, and the onset of results is faster and longer lasting, remaining anywhere from 3 months to a year. However, despite extraordinarily positive preliminary outcomes, the use of psilocybin for the treatment of mental disorders is still only at an experimental stage.
Psilocybin use remains prohibited and will only be authorized by competent bodies for medicinal use once we have research involving larger populational samples, thereby definitively proving its effectiveness.
In Brazil, very few studies have been conducted on psilocybin as a means to treat impulsiveness and depression. In may 2022, the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the state of Paraíba, was granted authorization from Anvisa, the Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency, to study mushrooms with the aim of extracting and isolating psilocybin. this is certainly a pioneering study in the country.
Since then, I have delved deeply into this investigation alongside a team from Certbio, the Northeastern Biomaterial Development Laboratory, on a quest to produce a psilocybin oral active ingredient to treat mental health issues among Brazilians, which is undeniably a serious and worrisome issue.
Many people are suffering, suffering intensely. Brazil has alarming rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, and myriad other types of psychological anguish. And they could all be cured through the use of psilocybin. We have a lot of work ahead.