HARMFULNESS AND POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE FLY AGARIC (AMANITA MUSCARIA): A LITERATURE REVIEW
Health Problems of Civilization February 19, 2025 Julia Grochowska, Natalia Grygoruk, Marcin Weiner 3 citations
The fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) is widely regarded as poisonous and psychoactive. Patients who ingest it present to hospitals with confusion, dizziness, agitation, and ataxia; less common effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, tachycardia, bradycardia, hypertension, hypothermia or hyperthermia, and metabolic acidosis, with some fatal poisonings. Despite high public awareness of its toxicity, amateur consumption—mainly for medicinal purposes—has increased in recent decades. Recent research suggests A. muscaria may potentially help with depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, autism spectrum conditions, and even addiction.