Is there any evidence that touching magic mushrooms can result in absorption through your pores?
Currently, there is no empirical evidence available that supports the absorption of psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin through skin pores. There is currently very little research on the efficacy of transdermal (the application of a medicine or drug through the skin) applications of psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
Typically, oral administration is used for psilocybin. After ingestion, psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated under acidic environment of the stomach or by alkaline phosphatase (and other nonspecific esterases) in intestine, kidney and in the blood to generate the phenol compound psilocin (Dinis-Oliveira, 2017). Psilocin is then further metabolized by a demethylation and oxidative deamination catalyzed by the liver.
There is also available evidence that when psilocybin is delivered as a slow intravenous injection, it produces short-lived but typical drug effects that are psychologically and physiologically well tolerated (Robin Carhart-Harris et al., 2010).
Transdermal application, on the other hand, allows patients to dose topically while receiving treatment through the surface of their skin, overcoming the need for intravenous needles and episodic oral dosing. However, there is currently no available evidence on the transdermal application of psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin, but there are several biopharmaceutical companies funding research which are currently underway to assess the diffusion of psychedelic compounds through the skin. Researchers are working to find new ways to bypass the traditional digestion process and deliver psilocin directly to the brain. However, these applications involve proprietary technologies that enhance transdermal delivery, such as the development of a a novel psilocybin oral thin film and a transdermal microneedle patch to deliver psilocybin.
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