Amanita muscaria, more well known as the fly agaric mushroom is an iconic mushroom; distinguished by its vibrant red cap adorned with distinctive white spots, holds a significant place in popular culture, gracing everything from emojis 🍄 to the beloved Mario universe.
When Mario consumes this mushroom he "power's up" increasing in size alluding to the innate properties of this mushroom.
Amanita muscaria's 🍄 reputation in modern society put simply is a controversy. It's known for being poisonous as well as being psychoactive - these properties including being the potential source of Santa's flying reindeer.
In discussions surrounding the toxicity of Amanita muscaria, renowned mycologist Alan Rockefeller offers a refreshing perspective. He aptly observes, "That happens a lot in the mushroom community that someone writes a book 200 years ago that says a mushroom is poisonous but if you actually eat it, you find it's not." Rockefeller sheds light on the misconceptions surrounding the edibility of Amanita muscaria, expressing his fondness for the mushroom and suggesting it might be one of those cases where its perceived danger outweighs its actual risk.
In looking a little deeper we can see that the usage of this mushroom stretches far back to 3500 BC. Where indigenous cultures across the globe from the Koryak shamans in Siberia to Central America incorporated this mushroom into religious rituals and spiritual practices.
On a more contemporary context, a two-year study involving over 6,000 participants organized through Telegram self-reported their experiences with micro-dosing this mushroom, yielding incredible results. You can delve into their experiences in "Microdosing with Amanita Muscaria: Creativity, Healing, and Recovery with the Sacred Mushroom."
At Era, we heard these stories and it piqued our curiosity to say the least. So what is the deal with the toxicity? Is it medicine or is it not?
To answer that we need to talk about the chemical composition. Amanita muscaria, contains a variety of natural compounds that have antioxidant properties, including proteins, peptides (like glutathione and ergothioneine), phenolic compounds (such as flavonoids, lignans, and tannins), vitamins (like ascorbic acid and tocopherols), and minerals (including zinc and selenium). In terms of the psychoactive properties two main compounds stand out: ibotenic acid and muscimol.
Ibotenic acid, while associated with toxicity at high doses (think multiple raw mushroom caps), is actually converted into muscimol through a process called decarboxylation.
Now, let's talk about muscimol. It's the star of the show and has been studied for its potential therapeutic effects, including its use in treating nerve injury and neuropathic pain.
This got the Era team curious. Neuropathic pain is an incredibly under-served problem even with over 20 million sufferers in the United States alone.
So we did what anyone who was curious would - we started experimenting until we found a method for a full decarboxylation wherein ibotenic acid would not be present in any 3rd Party Lab test meaning a full muscimol extract.
Our focus on pain management is backed by science. Muscimol interacts with a receptor in the brain called GABA-A, which is involved in pain management. This interaction promotes relaxation and stress reduction, even in tiny microscopic doses.
One of the most exciting aspects of our product is its fast-acting nature. Unlike many supplements and traditional pharmaceuticals that may take weeks to be effective, research has shown that our compound provides relief in as little as fifteen minutes. Whether you're experiencing pain from stress or exercise, the results are swift, almost akin to magic.
What we're doing with our pain relief cream represents a fusion of ancient wisdom and modern science, offering a natural alternative to conventional treatments. The fact that most modern medicine is derived from plants - was an encouraging reminder to keep pushing in this direction. With its roots deeply embedded in history and its efficacy backed by rigorous research. We've put this product to the test with our core friends and families and the results were incredible, now we're excited to open this up.
We're currently accepting pre-orders for our new product, if you or a loved one have problems with pain due to stress or exercise. I'd encourage you to give our product a try and see for yourself.
