Psychedelics for longevity & risks for heart health

[cistanche_enjoyer]

I did a deep research using the OpenAI o3 model, and found some very interesting results:

Drawing together the threads of evidence, we can attempt a reasoned assessment of how psilocybin and related classic psychedelics might influence overall health and longevity – weighing their remarkable benefits against theoretical and observed risks, from first principles of biology and current empirical data.

Documented Benefits: Classic psychedelics offer a multifaceted suite of potential health benefits. Psychologically, they can deliver rapid and enduring relief from depression, anxiety, and trauma-related distress, often succeeding where conventional treatments fail . This is not just about feeling better – chronic depression and anxiety have well-known negative effects on physical health and lifespan (for instance, via elevated stress hormones, inflammation, and poor health behaviors) . By effectively treating these conditions, psychedelics might indirectly improve longevity – a happier, less stressed brain sends healthier signals to the body (lower cortisol, better immune function). Population data showing lower rates of hypertension, heart disease, and substance abuse among psychedelic users support the idea that improved mental health and lifestyle after psychedelic experiences can translate into tangible physical health advantages. Furthermore, at the cellular level, psilocybin has now been shown to engage anti-aging pathways: it boosts SIRT1, preserves telomeres, reduces oxidative stress, and delays cellular senescence . These are precisely the kind of effects one would want from a longevity-promoting drug. In aged mice, psilocybin improved survival and signs of vitality (like coat health) , suggesting a systemic rejuvenating influence – possibly by reducing chronic inflammation and enhancing stress resilience in tissues. Psychedelics also potently promote neuroplasticity, which could help maintain cognitive function into older age. Imagine if periodic psychedelic therapy in midlife helped prevent or slow neurodegenerative changes by sprouting new neural connections and reducing neuroinflammation; this is speculative but not implausible given current knowledge. Even microdosing might offer subtle hormetic benefits: a low-dose psychedelic might gently stimulate cellular defenses (e.g. that small TNF-α burst in resting macrophages followed by anti-inflammatory effects could be viewed as a hormetic conditioning of the immune system). The fact that psychedelics can act as anti-inflammatory agents in the context of illness is significant, because chronic low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of aging (“inflammaging”). If carefully harnessed, psychedelics could reduce this burden – for instance, a guided psychedelic session might reset inflammatory cytokine networks or epigenetic markers in immune cells, leading to a more youth-like immune profile.

Another angle: psychedelics often lead to profound existential or spiritual insights, including a sense of interconnectedness and personal meaning. Such positive shifts in psychosocial well-being are associated with longevity. Studies on longevity have found that strong social bonds, a sense of purpose, and stress reduction correlate with longer lifespan. Psychedelics rather uniquely can facilitate feelings of unity, meaning, and awe – experiences that can permanently enrich one’s life perspective. Users often describe being more engaged with life, more open to others, and more appreciative of each day after a psychedelic experience. In principle, this could encourage healthier behavior (diet, exercise, relationships) and reduce risk factors over time . Indeed, quitting harmful habits (smoking, excessive drinking) after psychedelic therapy has been documented and would directly improve health outcomes.

On the cognitive front, maintaining neuroplasticity and cognitive flexibility into older age is crucial for longevity (cognitively sharp individuals tend to live longer and more independently). Psychedelics’ plasticity effect – especially if periodic macrodoses or ongoing microdoses can be given safely – might act as a “mental fertilizer,” promoting learning, memory, and adaptation in the aging brain. Some scientists even speculate about microdosing as a cognitive enhancer for middle-aged or older adults to help with age-related cognitive decline (though this is far from proven).

Theoretical and Observed Risks: The most concrete physiological risk identified is the cardiac valvulopathy concern with chronic use (especially microdosing) . From first principles, we know 5-HT₂B activation can lead to fibrotic changes – it happened with fenfluramine and certain ergolines taken daily for long periods. Psychedelics do hit the 5-HT₂B receptor. Although thus far no valvular heart disease has been reported in psychedelic research volunteers or users, microdosing as a widespread practice is relatively new and typically done outside medical monitoring. If one were to microdose continuously for years, in theory they could be slowly thickening their heart valves. The risk might be low – psychedelics are not as potent at 5-HT₂B as fenfluramine was, and microdose blood levels are much lower – but it cannot be dismissed. Therefore, from a longevity standpoint, routine daily microdosing is not risk-free for the heart. A prudent approach might be microdosing in “cycles” (with breaks) or focusing on substances like mescaline (which has negligible 5-HT₂B effect) if one chooses to microdose, though mescaline’s higher effective dose makes it less practical. Another risk: psychiatric stability. While classic psychedelics are non-addictive, a bad macrodose experience can be acutely stressful – potentially dangerous for those with unstable heart or aneurysms – and could leave psychological scars (e.g. persistent anxiety or HPPD symptoms) in rare cases. These are typically avoidable with proper screening and setting, but they are risks to consider when advocating any widespread use. We must also note the regulatory and legal issues – currently, these substances are controlled in many countries, which means using them (especially unsupervised) carries legal risk and variability in drug purity, etc. From a pure health perspective, that’s not a biological risk but it does impact the risk-benefit calculus for an individual considering use.

A more subtle risk is the unknown long-term effect on neurotransmitter systems. Chronic microdosing could possibly lead to alterations in serotonin receptor density or sensitivity. If someone stopped after years of microdosing, would their mood dip or would there be any withdrawal-like adjustment? We don’t have data. However, given that even daily microdosing results in tolerance (meaning receptors downregulate somewhat), it’s plausible there could be a period of readjustment if one stops (maybe a temporary slump in mood or energy as serotonin systems normalize). This would need to be studied, but compared to the withdrawal from many chronic medications (e.g. benzodiazepines, SSRIs, etc.), any microdosing cessation effects would likely be mild since psychedelics don’t produce dependency.

From first-principles reasoning, one might also wonder: Could stimulating so much neuroplasticity be a double-edged sword? There’s an oft-cited line: “neurons that fire together, wire together.” Psychedelics indiscriminately increase neural connectivity and plasticity for a window of time. If used properly, therapy directs this toward positive rewiring (e.g. extinguishing fear memories, creating positive associations). But if used in a chaotic or negative environment, is there a risk of wiring in some maladaptive patterns? Perhaps – for example, someone who takes a psychedelic in a bad setting could potentially reinforce traumatic pathways instead of healing them, if they experience terror without support. While speculative, this reminds us that set and setting are crucial for beneficial outcomes. For health optimization, one should ensure that psychedelic use (macro or micro) is accompanied by positive context, intention, and integration, to channel the plasticity toward beneficial ends.

Risk-Benefit Balance: For macrodose therapeutic use in controlled settings for those who need it (e.g. a 50-year-old with severe depression or an addiction), the benefits can be life-saving and transformative, clearly outweighing the relatively small medical risks (transient blood pressure rise, etc.) as evidenced by clinical trial results and safety monitoring. For such individuals, a psychedelic therapy could not only improve quality of life but potentially extend life by resolving conditions that would have shortened it (depression raises risk of mortality through suicide and illness, addiction obviously impacts longevity; treating these is a huge benefit). In these cases, careful medical oversight mitigates acute risks, and frequency of dosing is low (one to a few sessions), so long-term physical risks are minimal. Thus, therapeutic macrodosing under guidance has an excellent benefit-risk ratio.

For microdosing by healthy individuals aiming for performance or longevity enhancement, the calculus is more nuanced. The potential benefits (mild mood elevation, possibly reduced inflammation, maybe cognitive nimbleness) are subtler and not yet conclusively proven, whereas the risks (like valvulopathy) are theoretical but could manifest silently. In a healthy person who doesn’t need a psychedelic intervention, one must ask: do the subtle benefits justify even a remote chance of heart valve damage? If the risk is extremely low and the person is properly informed, some might decide it’s worth it for enhanced creativity or mood. Others might choose to wait for more research. It could be that microdosing once or twice a week for a few months is virtually harmless and provides a nice boost, but microdosing daily for years might accumulate risk. From a longevity strategy perspective, one might lean toward occasional macrodose journeys (perhaps once a year or a few times in a lifetime) in a safe setting as “checkpoints” to realign mental health and reduce stress – this could yield many of the psychological benefits we’ve discussed without continuous drug exposure. Meanwhile, one could avoid heavy continuous microdosing until more is known, or keep microdosing to a conservative schedule (e.g. a few weeks on, then many weeks off) to allow the body to reset. This way, you get perhaps the best of both – periodic big neuroplastic/anti-depressant boosts, with minimal physical downsides.

It’s also important to highlight that classic psychedelics do not appear to negatively affect major organ systems like the liver, kidneys, or bone marrow, even with repeated use – a significant plus compared to many pharmaceuticals. They are also not associated with cognitive decline; if anything, they trend toward cognitive enhancement and protective factors. They are non-toxic (the lethal dose for psilocybin or LSD is astronomically high relative to an active dose, virtually impossible to reach in practice, unlike many medications or substances such as alcohol). This intrinsic safety (physically) is one reason researchers are excited about using them in medicine. The main risks come from psychological effects and the 5-HT₂B issue for chronic use.

 

Conclusion: When weighing all factors, the overall benefits of psilocybin and related psychedelics for health and longevity appear to outweigh the risks, provided they are used in a conscientious, controlled manner. Classic psychedelics present a unique convergence of mental health therapy and potential physiological anti-aging effects – a convergence rarely seen in other compounds. By dramatically improving mood and reducing maladaptive behaviors, they tackle “soft” factors that strongly influence longevity (since mental and emotional well-being are linked to better cardiovascular health, immune function, etc.). Simultaneously, early evidence shows they directly trigger cellular pathways of rejuvenation (telomere preservation, oxidative stress reduction) . This combination could make them powerful allies in a holistic longevity regimen.

 

[Aaron p]

As far as my studies have concluded the most pertinent risk with psychedelics is the fact that you don't really need much experience to use them I mean people use them to party as well. So what you end up with is a notable percentage of the demographic of psychedelic users that are just young naive or otherwise stupid people who don't know what they're doing and who may be taken massive dose or maybe they're not using their psychedelics in an intelligent way. While they won't kill a person in and of themselves they can cause serious psychological trauma if used incorrectly. Unlike other tasks and activities (like flying a plane or conducting brain surgery) you are not required to provide any evidence or answer to anybody to prove that you are going to do the activity (in this instance, psychedelics) in a safe and controlled way or that you are adequately educated or actually capable of doing it in a way that you're not going to harm yourself or others. 

Using psychedelics has no safety net like this kind of thing. I myself know that I did myself a degree of damage with overusing dmt and taking doses that were just way too high for my current level of development. Although saying this, I also recognise that they gave me a s*** ton of strength which was arguably required for me to have enough consciousness to get a massive breakthrough and essentially secure the safety of my entire life. So I guess it's a double edged sword. One way or another you can't just banned a powerful and useful technology just because it has the potential for causing damage. 

[Leo Gura]

Taking psychedelics thinking they will improve your health is silly.

[Moomzy]

@Leo Gura I would have to disagree on this one. I have auto-immune disease that caused me very bad symptoms. After a bigger dose of mushrooms (horrible trip) my symptoms were gone completely for more than 5 years. I am not encouraging anyone to do the same thing, because I was also traumatized psychologically for some time, but somehow my symptoms were gone, after experiencing it almost every 2-3 months.

[cistanche_enjoyer]

5 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Taking psychedelics thinking they will improve your health is silly

“At the cellular level, psilocybin has now been shown to engage anti-aging pathways: it boosts SIRT1, preserves telomeres, reduces oxidative stress, and delays cellular senescence . These are precisely the kind of effects one would want from a longevity-promoting drug. In aged mice, psilocybin improved survival and signs of vitality (like coat health) , suggesting a systemic rejuvenating influence – possibly by reducing chronic inflammation and enhancing stress resilience in tissues. Psychedelics also potently promote neuroplasticity, which could help maintain cognitive function into older age. Imagine if periodic psychedelic therapy in midlife helped prevent or slow neurodegenerative changes by sprouting new neural connections and reducing neuroinflammation; this is speculative but not implausible given current knowledge.”

Even Bryan Johnson is considering taking mushrooms now  

https://x.com/bryan_johnson/status/1943824432419811437?s=46

[Breakingthewall]

 

Great post! According to Chatgpt, the risk of valvular heart disease with LSD begins at 60 mcg per week. This isn't a real certainty, as no cases have been reported. I often take microdoses just to enjoy the slightly high and expansive state. I notice it clearly at 2.5 mcg, and at 5 mcg, it's high. I take 10 mcg to go to a social gathering where I want to get directly high, since I don't drink alcohol. It's an extremely useful substance. I find psilocybin worse, less clean, but it's a matter of taste. Microdoses of weed are also absolutely useful. Meditation with a single toke of weed is another dimension of openness.

[cistanche_enjoyer]

Btw I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum section, can a mod please move it to “Psychedelics”?