Psilocybin, found in "magic" mushrooms, is used to treat severe mental health conditions but is prohibited outside a clinical setting.(ABC South West: Roxanne Taylor) In short: A Melbourne woman died at a health retreat on Sunday after consuming a drink made with mushrooms.
Experts say that some mushrooms, including "magic" mushrooms can have huge health benefits and are "unlikely" to cause sudden death, but warned that accidentally foraging a lookalike species can be fatal.
What’s next? The exact circumstances surrounding the woman’s death are unknown and the investigation remains ongoing.
The death of a Melbourne woman at a health retreat after consuming a drink made with mushrooms has prompted fresh warnings from experts about mushroom foraging and cautions about the use of mushrooms as medicines.
While some mushrooms are nutritional foods and others have been safely used in traditional medicines for centuries, other varieties are toxic to consume, which makes foraging for mushrooms a risk, experts say.
It is not known what kind of mushrooms were intended to be in the drink – and the cause of the woman’s death is still unknown. Rachael Dixon, 53, died in the regional Victorian town of Clunes on Sunday after ingesting a drink made with mushrooms.(Supplied: Instagram) The operator of the wellness venue has said a private event was being held at the time of the death.
Here’s what the experts say about the risks of some mushroom products and medicines. Psilocybin mushrooms unlikely to cause sudden death, experts say In recent years, scientists have […]
Death of woman at health retreat questions safety of mushrooms and wellness products
