A study published in Scientific Reports on 11 September 2026 has found that UK adults who report having used psilocybin or LSD at some point in their lives are more likely to hold pro-environmental attitudes and to follow a vegetarian diet than those who have not. Researchers analysed data from more than 21,800 participants in two long-running UK birth cohorts, the 1958 National Child Development Study and the 1970 British Cohort Study, using responses gathered when participants were in their early 30s and early 40s during a 1999 to 2000 survey wave. Lifetime psilocybin use was associated with roughly 1.4 to 1.5 times higher odds of following a vegetarian diet, and the researchers found that stronger environmental attitudes partially explained this link. Associations for LSD use were weaker. Psilocybin and LSD remain Class A controlled drugs in the UK and their use is illegal outside licensed research settings.
An observational link, not a cause and effect finding
Because psychedelic use, environmental attitudes and diet were all measured in the same 2000 survey wave, the authors say the study cannot establish which came first, or rule out that some other shared factor explains all three. Participants were not asked how often they had used these substances or in what context. The researchers also note that testing many individual foods and attitudes increases the risk of chance findings, and that the authors declared no competing interests, according to the paper.
What this means in practice
This is a study of association between lifestyle and past drug use, not a health recommendation, and it says nothing about the safety or legality of psychedelic use, which remains a controlled and unlicensed activity in the UK. It is best read as one data point in a wider body of research on how dietary habits cluster with other lifestyle and attitudinal factors, the kind of context set out in Perqen's FAQs on how membership pricing works for anyone comparing nutrition claims against the evidence behind them.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.