Through time and space, in all millennials and cultures people have been discovering the power of nature and have been learning to use it for their own advantage. Consider Amanita muscaria. What is it you might ask? Yes, you know these fungi. This widespread red-capped mushroom, also known as Fly Agaric, might be the most recognizable mushroom in the world. But little you know that it contains a whole range of components, the most famous and used of which are muscarine, muscimol, and ibotenic acid. With a 5000 years history of usage for traditional psychoactive and therapeutic practices across the world, Fly Agaric mushroom, and therefore its most powerful component muscimol, still finds itself on top of people’s minds. This overview will answer all the question you might have about Muscimol and more.
What is muscimol?
Simply, muscimol is the main component that is responsible for Amanita muscaria mushrooms’ psychoactive and therapeutic effects. It’s an organic component that has its own formula - C4H6N2O2. Because of striking structural similarity to GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) muscimol can attach itself to GABA receptors, powering up neurotransmitters’s effects. Through this property muscimol earned its chemical definition as a potent agonist (activator) of GABA. Extracted Muscimol often comes in a form of powder or liquid and can be used as a component for a range of products or consumed on its own as well.
How does muscimol work?
Different cultures across the planet have been harnessing muscimol from Amanita muscaria for centuries, using it as a component for traditional medicine. Modern pharmaceutical research proves the benefits of muscimol for mental and physical health. But how does the muscimol function?
- GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) is the brain’s neurotransmitter, which calms down nervous system activity by blocking specific signals in brain and spinal cord. Various conditions like anxiety disorders, insomnia, and epilepsy are very often linked to the imbalances of GABA levels in human’s body.
- While interacting, muscimol and GABA slow down central nervous system activity, resulting in stronger compound effects of sedation and relaxation.
- At high enough doses, muscimol’s and GABA tandem can cause a variety of altered states of mind, drowsiness, sensory deprivation, euphoria, strong visions and more. Microdosing muscimol will keep you safe from any unwanted psychoactive effects.
What does muscimol do and how can it help?
Muscimol is being actively studied now and showing quite promising results for therapeutic usage. According to various studies and personal reports of substance’s users muscimol can:
- reduce anxiety;
- relief inflammation and pain;
- improve memory and cognitive abilities;
- improve sleep quality;
- improve digestive issues.
To ensure the best possible experience it is advised to only purchase muscimol from companies that test their products for purity and potency and can provide Certificate of analysis.
What are the side effects of muscimol?
Just like any other substance that can be found in nature or synthesized in the lab muscimol can have negative side effects. The most reported are:
- nausea;
- excessive salvation;
- abdominal discomfort (bloating, cramping);
- muscle twitching;
- loss of balance;
- involuntary bodily movements.
It always makes sense to start from the micro dose to avoid unwanted side effects.
What are other active ingredients in Amanita Muscaria?
Muscimol is the most famous and widely used substance derived from Amanita muscaria, however it is not the only one that this mushroom contains. Ibotenic acid and muscarine play their part in earning Fly Agaric its reputation.
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Ibotenic acid: Ibotenic acid is a substance naturally occurring in A. muscaria mushrooms. It’s fair to say there would be no muscimol without ibotenic acid. Prosessing the mushrooms with heating or drying triggers the process of decarboxylation of ibotenic acid, therefore forming muscimol. However, this process can be triggered even by the acidic environment of the stomach, simply through digestion.
Ibotenic acid binds itself to NMDA receptors. Usually, it results in improved memory and learning functions, enhanced neural plasticity. At the same time, consuming large doses of ibotenic acid can cause sleepiness, gastrointestinal issues, confusion lasting for a long period of time.
To minimize undesirable effects, it is highly recommended to ingest products with a complete ibotenic acid to muscimol conversion cycle.
- Muscarine: Muscarine is another substance occurring in A. muscaria mushrooms. It activates muscarinic receptors of the cholinergic parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and helps to counter the effects of an activated autonomic nervous system (ANS). ANS is responsible for releasing stress hormones like adrenaline, dopamine, and cortisol. Muscarine activates PNS and helps to counter the effects of activated ANS, promoting the feeling of relaxation. Unlike muscimol muscarine can not pass the blood-brain barrier, so there are no toxic effects to central nervous system.
However, it is still possible to overdo it with muscarine just like with any other substance. Large doses of muscarine cause side effects, including slow heart rate and low blood pressure resulting in weakness, dizziness, and fainting.
Is muscimol legal?
Fly Agaric mushroom remains legal in most places with rare exceptions. The Netherlands, Romania, Thailand and Australia banned possession and consumption of these fungi, therefore banning muscimol extraction. Louisiana is currently the only state in the USA where A. muscaria is outlawed. Better to be safe than sorry, so it always makes sense to check local policy on the matter before purchasing the product.
The muscimol overview
Let’s sum it up a little. Muscimol is component naturally occurring in Amanita muscaria mushrooms. It has a variety of effects and has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. Muscimol’s similarity to the neurotransmitter GABA allows it to bind itself to GABA receptors and soothe the central nervous system. A painkiller, a sedative, anti-depressant, relaxant – these are just a couple of examples of muscimol usages. And the best part: you don’t actually need to eat dried mushrooms to experience it all.
The high-quality lab tested product is always the safest way to explore all muscimol's benefits. APOEMBIOTECH can guarantee the exceptional quality of liquid and powdered extract from Amanita Muscaria with a high content of Muscimol. You can always contact our sales agents through email or phone number listed on a site.
