MAGIC MUSHROOMS TREAT DEPRESSION, REDUCE ADDICTION

BERLIN, MAY 11 /SRNA/ - Swedish and American scientists and doctors have determined that so-called magic mushrooms have the potential to treat depression and alcoholism, as well as help smokers overcome addiction.

The "magic" comes from psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound that has been the talk of the town in medical circles in recent years, the DPA agency reports.

The growing interest in magic mushrooms comes at a time when the use of cocaine, another plant-based drug, is on the rise. An estimated 25 million people worldwide use cocaine, a highly addictive stimulant.

A team of doctors and scientists in Sweden and the US have found indications that psilocybin could be used to combat addiction, according to a study published by the American Medical Association.

They said the compound was "safe and effective for the treatment of cocaine use disorder" after a series of randomized trials in 40 users, which included placebo and psychotherapy.

"Psilocybin recipients had a higher percentage of cocaine abstinence days, a higher likelihood of complete cocaine abstinence, and a reduced risk of relapse after cessation of use than active placebo recipients," the experts summarized the study results.

The tests were conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm contributed to the subsequent work.