Latest news with #mushrooms
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Fears invasive species is spreading as Aussie mates stumble upon 'fairytale' scene
A group of Aussie mates were cycling through a dense forest earlier this month when a fairytale-like scene suddenly appeared in front of them, prompting the mesmerised group to leap off their bikes and take a closer look. Sean Blocksidge and his friends couldn't believe their eyes when they spotted the cluster of three bright red and white mushrooms sprouting from the ground near Margaret River, south of Perth. 'We were all amazed at the size of them. Almost double the size we've seen in the past,' Sean, who snapped photos of his size 14 foot next to the fungi to highlight their size, told Yahoo News. However, a grim truth lurks behind the mushrooms' alluring appearance. 'Despite their fairytale looks, they're a toxic, invasive species,' Sean, the owner and operator of the Margaret River Discovery Company, revealed. Amanita muscaria — better known as the fly agaric — is an introduced fungus that is believed to have come into Australia on the roots of pine plants. The species, which is toxic to people and pets, is commonly found along the country's east coast, Tasmania and in parts of South Australia and southwest Western Australia. While it's made its presence known since arriving in the early 20th century, Dr Carol Booth, policy director for the Invasive Species Council (ISC), told Yahoo amanita muscaria 'has only recently been discovered in WA'. An article published by the state's Department of Environment and Conservation notes an increase in reports of the fly agaric popping up in pine plantations, gardens and parks in 2012. Toxic mushroom species 'more noticeable in recent years' Sean told Yahoo that although the 'invasive mushroom has been around for a while', it 'seems to be more noticeable in recent years'. Amanitas have been sprouting throughout the pine forests around Margaret River, Busselton, Pemberton and Nannup region over the past few weeks, he explained. 'This year is the most prolific and biggest size I've ever seen them,' he said. 'Almost double the size of previous years and most likely a result of some solid winter rain events.' While they are 'beautiful', Sean noted they're not great for native ecosystems — a sentiment shared by Dr Booth. 'That said, they've certainly made themselves at home in WA's introduced pine forests and look quite magical when you do spot them!' However, they are best admired from a 'safe, non-eating distance'. 🍄 Warning against eating 'creepy' growth commonly found in backyards 🌱 Property owners warned over harmful weed 'having a bumper season' 🪴 Aussies urged to dig up invasive plant that becomes 'very difficult to remove' Invasive mushroom can displace native fungi species, experts say Professor Brett Summerell, chief scientist at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, told Yahoo amanita muscaria is considered to be a 'weed mushroom' given it can displace native species of fungi, similar to invasive plants. Booth said the species 'forms mutually beneficial relationships with several exotic tree species', providing them with water and nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates. 'In Australia it has spread into native forests by jumping from exotic hosts to a native tree — the southern beech — and it may also jump to eucalypts, as it has overseas,' she said. 'This raises concerns that it could displace native fungi and alter the availability of nutrients for the trees it colonises.' Summerell said the mushrooms often appear from April through to July and can vary in size. 'I have seen them up to 30cm in diameter. They generally are larger in wetter years,' he explained. Their common name — the fly agaric — arises from the practice of placing the mushrooms, or powdered forms of the mushroom, in milk to attract and kill flies and other insects. 'The mushrooms can be toxic, although there are some who consume them for psychoactive properties, but it can be quite risky. Generally, they are not considered deadly,' Summerell said, adding the species has been 'been used in art and literature from the Renaissance', and is one of the mushroom emojis on your phone. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Magic Mushrooms Might Be the Key to Longevity, Study Finds
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Psilocybin, the hallucinogen in some mushroom species, has now been shown to increase the lifespan of both cells and mice. The magic happens because psilocybin slows down the senescence, or degradation, of telomeres—the DNA at the ends of our chromosomes that affects aging. These results may mean that psilocybin could someday slow down the progression of cancer and other diseases. Shelves in stores all over the world are already overstocked with supplements, skin creams, retinal serums, self-help books, and questionable potions that promise to hold off the effects of aging as long as possible. But... have we tried magic mushrooms? Psilocybin is what puts the 'magic' in some species of mushrooms (such as Psilocybe cubensis)—when it's metabolized, it releases the hallucinogen alkaloid psilocin. Most clinical studies involving psilocybin and psilocin have, understandably, focused on its interactions with the brain. And we've learned a lot from these studies. Psilocin has been shown, for example, to have a positive impact on people with psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions. But now, it seems that scientists have discovered that there is also an association between psilocybin treatment and the slowing of cell aging. Telomeres are repeated DNA sequences at the end of our chromosomes that influence how we age. The shortening of telomeres leads to senescence (aging) and, eventually, cell death. Clinical depression and other negative mental and psychological states have been known to fast-forward aging by causing the telomeres of cells to shorten sooner, and positive mental states are associated with longer telomeres. This knowledge led to the 'psilocybin-telomere hypothesis,' which suggests that psilocybin might slow down aging by keeping telomeres longer beyond the point when they would usually start to degrade. This hypothesis is why Kosuke Kato, assistant professor of pulmonary medicine at Baylor University, wanted to focus in on the anti-aging effects of psilocybin. He was the first to do so, and when he and his research team carried out a series of experiments on adult mice and human cells, the results were pretty trippy. It turned out that the psilocin in psilocybin can indeed increase lifespans of cells—and even entire organisms. 'Our study provides the first experimental evidence demonstrating that psilocybin impacts hallmarks of aging, supporting the previously proposed 'psilocybin-telomere hypothesis,'' the researchers said in a study recently published in Nature Partnering Journal (NPI) Aging. Kato started with an in vitro study on human lung stem cells. Those treated with a low dose of psilocin had extended lifespans, allowing them to multiply faster and for longer than controls. With a higher dose, the psilocin-treated cells held out for even longer before succumbing to senescence. They also had higher levels of SIRT1—a gene that regulates DNA damage and regulates the metabolism, stress responses, and the aging of cells. Lower levels of the GADD45a gene (which repairs DNA damage) meant there was less cell damage, and levels of oxidative stress (which also causes cell damage) were also reduced. The same experiments were carried out on adult human skin cells, and produced similar results. After the success of the in vitro experiments, Kato treated mice with psilocybin once a month over a period of ten months. He purposely chose older mice, whose age equivalent in human years was about 60 to 65 at the beginning of the experiment. And the treatment worked—survival rates ended up being an astounding 80% higher than controls. The mice even looked looked younger. Their fur quality improved, and some graying was reversed (though they did experience psychotropic effects right after treatment as a predictable side effect). The results of these experiments have important implications not just for aging, but for potentially slowing down and even halting the progress of cancer. 'Our findings suggest that psilocybin influences systemic aging processes, potentially explaining its long-lasting therapeutic effects across multiple disease indications,' Kato said. 'Although the impact of psilocybin on peripheral organs remains largely unexplored, these studies implicate untapped therapeutic potential for psilocybin's systemic impacts.' Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Aussies warned after tradie's 'horrific' discovery in rental home: 'Not pleasant at all'
A young tradie is warning Australian residents this winter to deal with any dampness in their home and its visible consequences after finding several "horrific" clusters of fungi thriving inside a property this week. Plumber Michael Schulze visited a Brunswick property in Melbourne on Monday, where not one, but two mushroom clusters the size of his fist had been growing for months, indicating significant property dampness. "It was very, very wet. On a scale from 1 to 10, it was a 10 for sure," he told Yahoo News. "It's not pleasant at all." Michael, who owns the leak detection company 1300FINDLEAK, explained that an unattended leak from the bath had caused several litres of stagnant water to build up underneath it. The dampness had spread through the walls and across the property. Now, with mushrooms growing in the lounge area, toxic spores were wafting across the property and posing significant health risks to those residing inside. "The tenants didn't seem to fussed about it, but most people don't really know the dangers of breathing in mould and being around damp areas. You can get really sick," he warned. Mushrooms pose significant health risks to residents Not only do mushrooms indicate extreme dampness inside a property, which in turn could result in structural damage to the building, but they also pose health risks to those living with them. Inhaling mushroom spores can cause respiratory issues and prompt allergic reactions, while mycotoxin exposure can inflict various health issues, such as nausea, vomiting and even abdominal pain, according to Health Victoria. Michael has experienced this firsthand. He explained he was enduring a prolonged bout of illness last year until he discovered mould was growing underneath his bed. "I was just getting sick all the time," he explained. How to avoid getting mushrooms inside your home Michael said there are some telltale signs that water is building up in your home, and you want to address it long before mushrooms start sprouting. "First signs to look out for would be bubbling paint or discolouration of paint," he explained. Mould or black mould are definite signs that your property is damp, and the situation has likely got to crisis mode by the time mushrooms arrive. "There's a lot of people out there with leaks, but when people have them, they don't seem to get a leak detector... They just call a plumber... But we look at leaks all day every day," he said, urging people not to suffer in silence. ⛈️ Aussies warned over widespread danger emerging in homes after relentless weather 😷 Resident in affluent suburb found living for years with dire mould problem 🌊 Tenant blasts property manager's response after daughter's room floods It's not the first time Australian residents have been living with mushrooms inside their home. A Sydney woman told Yahoo News previously her son was concerned aliens were taking over their home after mushrooms appeared in the crevice of a bedroom overnight. Dr Tom May, from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, told Yahoo residents, "definitely don't want a mushroom inside your house releasing spores" after a fluorescent mushroom sprouted up in another resident's bathroom in 2023. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Plumber's 'horrific' discovery prompts warning to Aussie residents
Plumber Michael Schulze is urging Aussies not to put up with mushrooms inside their home after visiting a property on Monday in Brunswick, Melbourne. This client has mushrooms growing out of their wall, and they don't know where they're coming from. This whole wall is absolutely saturated, as you can see. Which is also evident on our thermal imaging. They've got a shower on the other side of that wall here. A plumber has already been there trying to find what's causing those mushrooms to grow, and they don't know what it is. So we're gonna do an investigation, see where this leak is coming from. So we're gonna do an investigation, see where this leak is coming from. So we're just doing a pressure test of the pipework here with our gauge, and that's not dropping pressure, so there's no leaks on the pipes, it's gonna be coming from something else. Next, we thoroughly inspect the grouting and the ceiling inside the shower, which we found nothing. Let's dye test this bath. There might be a leak coming from the bath waste, so we're gonna test it and see if it's leaking. Again, as you can see, we've got about 50 degrees of hot water inside this bath with our tracing dye. This will test for any leaks. Now it's time to pull the plug and test the drain, let's see how it goes. Alright, after running the water through the bath waste there, it's leaking out onto the floor here. As you can see, there's all water pooling on the ground, so that means the bath waste is leaking underneath the tub. And they're gonna have to open a hole in the wall, fix that pipe, stop it from leaking, and start drying out all of the areas. So, job's all done and we're on to the next one, we've found the leak and this one was causing these mushrooms here. If you've got leaks, make sure you call us, we're the experts.
SBS Australia
15-07-2025
- Health
- SBS Australia
Mushrooms are beneficial for health, but beware of poisonous ones.
LISTEN TO SBS Urdu 15/07/2025 10:41 Urdu According to nutritionist Sania Kiyani, mushrooms are an important part of our daily diet, used in a variety of dishes from home kitchens to restaurants. They are not only an excellent source of vitamins but are also used medicinally to treat various illnesses. She says that although mushrooms are beneficial for health, it is essential to ensure they are not poisonous before consumption — because toxic mushrooms often appear beautiful and resemble regular edible ones, making them hard to identify. Sania Kiyani explains that there are some signs that can help with initial identification, but she advises not to pick or touch wild mushrooms growing along footpaths, in backyards, or open safe use, she recommends buying only mushrooms with verified labels. More details can be heard in the podcast. ___________ Listen Wednesday or Friday program at this link. SBS Urdu is on Instagram , Facebook and YouTube. Our SBS Audio app is available for Apple and Android devices. Listen on Spotify Podcast or Apple Podcast. Listen Wednesday or Friday program at this link. SBS Urdu is on Instagram , Facebook and YouTube. Our SBS Audio app is available for Apple and Android devices. Listen on Spotify Podcast or Apple Podcast.
