--- title: "People Who Eat This Brand of “Shroom” Chocolate Are Landing in the Hospital With Bizarre Symptoms" description: "People who have eaten one brand's mushroom-infused chocolate bars are getting sick — and some of them have had to be hospitalized, too." date: "2024-06-11" modified: "2024-06-11" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/fake-mushroom-chocolate-nootropics" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "mushrooms" - "nootropics" - "outbreaks" - "supplements" --- # People Who Eat This Brand of “Shroom” Chocolate Are Landing in the Hospital With Bizarre Symptoms ![People who have eaten one brand's mushroom-infused chocolate bars are getting sick — and some of them have had to be hospitalized, too.]() *\Image: Diamond Shruumz\* People who have eaten supposedly mushroom-infused chocolate bars from the brand Diamond Shruumz are reportedly getting sick, with some even requiring hospitalization. The [Food and Drug Administration]() and the [Arizona Poison Control Centers]() are warning that consumers have reported seizures and other health issues after eating Diamond Shruumz's so-called "microdosing" nootropic chocolate bars. As the FDA notes in its press release, at least eight people in the states of Arizona, Indiana, Nevada, and Pennsylvania have fallen ill after eating Diamond Shruumz's chocolate bars, which contain the company's blend of mushroom extracts (though none of them are actually psychedelic, but more on that later.) Of those eight who have reported serious illness with the federal agency, six have been hospitalized. "People who became ill after eating Diamond Shruumz-brand Microdosing Chocolate Bars reported a variety of severe symptoms including seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea, and vomiting," the FDA explained in its foodborne illness outbreak report. Diamond Shruumz seems pretty sketchy. Despite using the term "microdosing" and wavy psychedelic letting in its marketing, its chocolates and gummies don't actually contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, which the active ingredient in mushroom species like *Psilocybe cubensis* that are commonly known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms." Instead, the fine print claims that its products contain "[adaptogens]()," a dubious moniker for an even more vague class of supplements known as "[nootropics]()" that are supposed to enhance cognitive functioning but [may just be snake oil](). Instead, as an [Instagram FAQ explains](), Diamond Shruumz's products include Reishi and Lion's Mane mushrooms — foodstuffs you can find at any reputable farmer's market — and other herbal supplements like Kava and Ashwagandha. In a statement [released through the local Banner Health system](), Arizona's poison control pointed out that although the brand claims that its products "contain only natural ingredients and no scheduled drugs, there is clearly something toxic occurring" — and that it may be happening in more states than the FDA is letting on, too. "We’ve seen the same phenomenon of people eating the chocolate bar then seizing, losing consciousness, and having to be intubated," Steve Dudley, the head of Arizona's Poison and Drug Information Center, said in the statement. "So far, we’re aware of similar cases in Nebraska, Utah, and Indiana, and we’re working with the FDA to hopefully prevent anyone else from becoming ill." It remains unclear whether it was those extracts or something else in the supposedly brain-enhancing candy bars that are making people sick, but given how many people have fallen ill, it doesn't really seem worth the risk to eat the fake shroom chocolates that don't even have actual psychedelics them. **More on actual shrooms:** [*Therapists Warn That Taking Magic Mushrooms for Treatment Can Lead to Unwanted Romantic Feelings*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()