Mannitol in Amanita muscaria--an osmotic blood-brain barrier disruptor enhancing its hallucinogenic action?
Medical hypotheses November 1, 2013 E Maciejczyk, P Kafarski 4 citations
Mannitol, abundant in the tissues of the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), may facilitate the transport of the mushroom's active compounds into the brain, thereby enhancing their overall psychoactive effects. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that the hallucinogenic effect from consuming the whole mushroom is greater than what would be expected from the quantity of active substances it contains, suggesting that mannitol acts as a co-factor that improves brain penetration and potency.