Effects of a single dose of psilocybin on diet-induced weight loss in obese mice.
Translational psychiatry April 14, 2026 Ryan J Keenan, Rifa T Haque, Xiangjun Jin et al.
A single dose of psilocybin worsened diet-induced weight loss over four weeks in obese mice switched to low-fat chow, making them more likely to lose more weight. The effect came mainly from reducing food intake, not from changing energy expenditure. In obese mice kept on a high-fat diet, psilocybin did not affect body weight or food intake, suggesting it does not directly cause weight loss or reduce eating. Instead, it may help enable weight loss when combined with other weight-loss interventions. The findings support further research into psychedelic compounds as an add-on therapy for obesity, though more work is needed to understand the mechanisms.