GLP podcast: Your brain on ‘magic mushrooms’; WEF v farming; Food ‘sensitivity’ tests are scams

People have been taking LSD recreationally for years, but it might turn out to be an effective treatment for depression as well. Farmers feed billions of people everyday, so why does the World Economic Forum treat agriculture like a grave threat to humanity’s future? Food allergies are real; food “sensitivities” are marketing scams. Let’s learn how to tell the difference between them.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 277 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• This is your brain on ‘magic mushrooms’

What happens to your brain when you take psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical in “magic mushrooms”? Scientists are conducting studies to answer that question, and their results suggest that the drug may be a viable treatment for depression. It’s a conclusion that challenges decades of conventional thinking about psilocybin, and other psychedelic compounds that gained popularity in the West in the mid-20th century. Could these hallucination-inducing drugs really treat mental health disorders?

• Viewpoint: Why is the World Economic Forum waging war against modern agriculture and hurting developing countries?

Environmental activist groups have spent many decades attacking conventional agriculture. To the chagrin of many scientists, these NGOs have been joined in recent years by some mainstream institutions, most notably the World Economic Forum. Instead of advocating for the responsible use of innovative technology in farming, the WEF is urging developing countries to rely on “agroecology,” a buzzword used to rebrand organic agriculture, to feed themselves. The problem is, we have 10,000 years of experience with organic farming, and we know it can’t feed billions of people. What’s going on at the WEF, and why are they so eager to embrace a solution experts know can’t work?

• Concerned you may have a food allergy? Don’t waste your money on ‘sensitivity tests’

Food allergies can be serious, even life threatening, medical conditions. They have to be diagnosed by a physician and usually require a lifetime of management with dietary restrictions and medication in some cases. Food sensitivities, on the other hand, are almost always vague collections of symptoms people mistakenly blame on their diets. Learning a little bit about your immune system will help you separate real food allergies from usually phony sensitivities.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish