Sometimes it feels as though there’s nothing mushrooms can’t do. They nourish the body, bolster the brain, and aid in healing all sorts of mental health issues—from depression and anxiety to PTSD and beyond. Now, some researchers think they may help ease the burden of Long COVID, too. 

According to recent reporting in TIME, anecdotal evidence is beginning to suggest that psilocybin, aka “magic” mushrooms, can possibly provide relief to those suffering from the long-term effects of a COVID-19 infection. And while research is slim at present, those following the emerging science are hopeful about this hypothesis.

Research done by Charles Nichols, PHD, a professor of pharmacology at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, for example, found that some psychedelics have anti-inflammatory effects in rodents. If this proves to be the case in humans as well, Nichols believes it may explain why some who struggle with Long COVID feel better after a psychedelic trip—Long COVID has, after all, been linked to inflammation.

Psilocybin may also help Long COVID patients who suffer from symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue by stimulating new neuronal connections and tissue growth in the brain, says Sue Sisley, MD, a psilocybin researcher who also works in a Long COVID clinic.

To formally explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for the treatment of Long COVID, Saleena Subaiya, MD a researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center—who also suffers from Long COVID—plans to launch a pilot study in which Long COVID patients receive single-dose psychedelic treatments and have their symptoms tracked thereafter. With interest in this type of therapy increasing, Dr. Subaiya’s study promises to be one of many to come.

Science may be far from being able to definitively declare that psilocybin and other psychedelics can cure Long COVID, but it’s an exciting possibility—especially given the sheer number of those suffering from the condition amidst a dearth of treatments. And while we’re no doctors (or scientists, for that matter), we'd place bets on the healing magic of mushrooms any day.