Psychedelics and the Serotonin Hypothesis of Eating Disorders
Brain Sciences August 21, 2025 Dean Bilenker, Nicole M. Avena 2 citations
Serotonergic psychedelics, especially 5-HT2A receptor agonists like psilocybin, show potential for treating eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. The review connects these interventions to the serotonin hypothesis of eating disorders, highlighting serotonergic dysregulation and impaired cognitive flexibility as core features. Psychedelics may promote neuroplasticity and psychological insight through 5-HT2A signaling modulation, based on animal models, human neuroimaging, and early clinical trials. Preliminary open-label studies suggest psilocybin can improve eating disorder symptoms and quality of life, though evidence remains early and methodologically limited. The authors conclude that further controlled trials are needed, but psychedelics represent a novel mechanistic approach to entrenched eating disorder psychopathology.