At Wild Forest Herbs, we get enough customer questions about microdosing dried Amanita muscaria that we decided it was time for a new blog on what a microdose is and different approaches to microdosing. 

What is a microdose? A microdose is an amount of mushroom that does not result in a noticeable psychoactive effect, but which for Amanita muscaria has anecdotally resulted in positive effects such as mild euphoria, reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep and dreams, a sense of calm, help with pain, and more. 

What amount is considered a microdose of Amanita muscaria? 

Research suggests a microdose of Amanita muscaria is between 0.5 to 1.0 grams. This can easily be measured by an inexpensive food scale set to grams and that is sensitive in 0.1 gram increments. 

Wild Forest Herbs has been shocked to see other professionals in this space suggest that a dose of Amanita muscaria is some number of caps, such as “two dried caps.” Never, ever measure Amanita muscaria by the number of caps. 

The images below show three dried Amanita muscaria caps. The first two caps are the same diameter but the second one weighs more than twice as much because it is far more dense. Additionally, Amanita muscaria caps can vary from the size of a dime to the size of a salad plate. So beware of any site or person who suggests a certain number of “caps” as a dosage—two of the lightest mushroom below would be a 1.6 gram amount, but two of the large mushrooms would be 19.6 grams! 

How often do people microdose with Amanita? 

Research in this area is still evolving. However, many microdosing guidelines suggest no more than three weeks of microdosing before taking a one week break. A microdose of Amanita muscaria may be ingested in the morning, in the evening, or both. It really depends on individual preference as well as how an individual experiences Amanita muscaria. Many people who microdose Amanita muscaria in the morning report they feel less anxiety and a lift in their mood, but some people become sleepy so taking Amanita muscaria in the morning doesn’t work for them. At night, the relaxing effect of Amanita can help many people sleep, but a minority of people report it keeps them awake. People who want to study microdosing effects should listen to their bodies as reactions can vary from person to person. 

Start low, go slow 

Because everyone is different, Wild Forest Herbs also always advises that those interested in microdosing start with the smallest amount (0.5 grams), and if someone is microdosing multiple days in a row, to stay at a low level for several days to see how they feel before trying a 1.0 gram amount. A microdose amount should not feel very noticeable in the moment—rather it might be that someone looks back over several days or a week and realizes they have less anxiety or are sleeping better. 

Ways to microdose Amanita muscaria 

So, if a microdose of Amanita muscaria is 0.5-1.0 grams what is the best way to ingest it? 

Use a method that achieves an averaging effect across several mushrooms. One challenge with Amanita muscaria mushrooms is they grow in the wild and can’t be cultivated, and the strength of each mushroom can vary quite a bit. Wild Forest Herbs suggests blending at least a few mushroom caps together in some way to get an averaging effect. See our table below. 

Eating dry caps vs. boiling / making tea. Another point of confusion is what happens when Amanita muscaria are eaten dried versus boiled. Either option is fine, and it comes down to personal preference. All of the properties are in the dried caps so it can be as simple as swallowing a microdose amount with a glass of water. Alternatively, if the Amanita muscaria caps are boiled for at least 30 minutes, all of their properties will transfer into the liquid. After boiling, the mushroom caps or pieces can be strained and discarded. However, boiling does not by itself decarboxylate the mushrooms (i.e., convert the ibotenic acid to muscimol). 

Do Amanita muscaria need to be decarboxylated? Amanita muscaria contain two primary psychoactive compounds, ibotenic acid and muscimol. In microdose amounts, the body will naturally convert ibotenic acid to muscimol, meaning dried or boiled Amanita muscaria can simply be ingested without any further fuss. In larger amounts, ibotenic acid is far more likely to cause adverse effects. In short, at a microdose level, decarboxylation is not generally viewed as necessary but can be a personal preference. 

Consider alcohol. A small amount won’t affect most people adversely, but a very large amount could make people very sick. So, while most people don’t mind microdose levels of ibotenic acid, some people simply prefer to minimize it to the degree possible via decarboxylation. As described in our blog, decarboxylation requires boiling the caps for 3 hours in acidic water. 

What are some ways to microdose Amanita muscaria? The table below shows some very easy ways to microdose with Amanita muscaria, from easiest to hardest. 

METHODS FOR MICRODOSING AMANITA MUSCARIA MUSHROOMS

If you do not have a food scale, we recommend getting one. They are very cheap on Amazon or elsewhere and are a handy device to have in a kitchen. Estimating your desired serving or dose of Amanita muscaria by volume can be tricky as the weight for the same volume can vary based on how finely someone grinds the powder and how packed it is. One flat teaspoon of lightly packed powder can be roughly a gram of Amanita muscaria, but it can be less or more depending on circumstances. Weighing your product is the best method. 

What about macrodosing and larger doses of Amanita muscaria? 

ACS Labs considers a microdose to be 0.5-1.0 grams, a low dose to be 1.5-4.0 grams, a medium dose to be 4-8 grams, and a high dose to be 8-10 grams. NOTE: We’re sharing the information on higher doses so customers understand that it doesn’t take much to accidentally move from a microdose to a high dose. Unlike magic mushrooms (psilocybins) which are thought to have a relatively predictable effect at different amounts, Amanita muscaria can have more inconsistent effects at moderate and high amounts, with reports of potential negative side effects such as nausea, stomach cramping, sweating, delirium, disassociation and more. For this reason, Wild Forest Herbs only sells our mushrooms for microdosing and does not advise (or provide advice on) macrodosing. 

Conclusion 

In summary, for those studying microdosing effects, always weigh your product, start low, and go slow. Click here to see Wild Forest Herbs premium dried Amanita muscaria products.

Keep all Amanita products away from children. Do not consume Amanita muscaria without approval from a doctor, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have known or suspected allergies or medical conditions, or are taking any medication.