Psychedelic drug users tend to have better overall physical health than non-users, study finds

The use of psychedelic substances is associated with better physical health, according to preliminary research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. But the cause of this relationship remains unclear.

“There has recently been promising research on the mental health benefits of classic psychedelics, but very little remains known about how classic psychedelics may impact long-term physical health outcomes. I’m curious to find out,” said Otto Simonsson of the University of Oxford, the corresponding author of the new study.

For their study, the researchers analyzed data from 171,766 adults who responded to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2015 and 2018. The annual survey, which is designed to measure the prevalence of substance use and mental health issues in the United States, asked participants if they had ever used psychedelic drugs and also collected other information, such as self-assessed overall health and body mass index.