I do it. Prince Harry’s done it. My podcast guest Lorenzo Bown does it. Yes… it’s microdosing. But what is it exactly? 

“Microdosing is when you use a small amount of psychedelics to either heal,perform or increase creativity for problem solving for example.,” says Lorenzo, the co-founder of Aydoo and – in his own words – “a simple guy from Belgium with three kids”. His company offers guided microdose programs that include micro psilocybin truffles, the only legal way to microdose in Europe, as part of a guided eight-week program. 

According to research, psilocybin in high and small doses can improve users’ general wellbeing, focus, creativity and more, says Lorenzo.

And I believe it. Microdosing supported my journey through quitting alcohol. It can be powerful, especially as part of a self-development journey alongside therapy, yoga and breathing exercises. Personally, taking small amounts of psilocybin helped me to create a better connection between my mind and body. I had more of a sense of being in the present when I tried it. 

The majority of people who microdose, says Lorenzo, start to think about eating better, limiting alcohol, doing more sports and see a reduction in anxiety and depression as a result, as well as an increase of energy and mood. “So it’s linked to all the other tools that we have to get better,” he says.

To find out more about microdosing, and Aydoo’s mission to make it mainstream, listen to the whole podcast. Or scroll down to read the highlights.

Microdosing is changing the world for the better

After Lorenzo sold his tech video startup in 2020, he needed some time off with his family. For a fresh start, and think about the next startup idea. He went to South America to meet friends for six weeks – and eventually stayed for six months.

“It was a life changing experience,” he explained, adding that he met entrepreneurs with their families living in this remote place close to nature, with people from around the world who were using psychedelics in a very meticulous, non-recreational, functional way.

“I was already in a healthy mindset, with a daily routine of waking up at 5am, starting the day by doing sports,reading and planning the day. And in a continuous improvement mindset, I now also wanted to improve my role as a dad,  a husband, lover and so much more. The main thing after an intense period was to find a balance between physical, emotional and mental and even spiritual. One of the tools to find it was microdosing.

Helping people microdose in a safer way

That was the basis of starting Aydoo on my part, says Lorenzo. 

“If you want, you can just buy truffles online, right? And that’s OK. But it was absolutely not what we wanted to do. We wanted to help everyday people, not only microdose, but also go on a guided, step-by-step eight-week program.”

According to Lorenzo, he and his co-founder, Nicolas, wanted to help people understand exactly what microdosing does and how it can help them. That’s why the company has five coaches to assist people in different languages. They also tailor the program depending on the reason the participant wants to microdose – for example, if they’re taking psychedelics to improve their sports game, stop smoking, or enhance focus and performance. 

The misconceptions around psychedelics are based on stigma

Lorenzo says that people incorrectly believe that psychedelics are dangerous, addictive, and aren’t a method or tool for improving ourselves. When he decided to set up Aydoo, they first had to weigh up whether psilocybin was truly safe or not.  

“We went through a lot of research and talked to a lot of researchers,” he said. “We found that 100% it is safe.” 

Microdosing isn’t addictive.

Lorenzo points to information that supports the theory that psilocybin is several times safer than other substances like alcohol, or nicotine. Both legal substances around the globe.“That was something that blew our mind,” he says.

“Do we want people getting addicted to a product that we sell? Absolutely not,” explains Lorenzo, adding that studies proved clearly that  psilocybin is not addictive, physically or mentally. 

“Of course, some people have much more addictive personalities than others, and there are always extremes” he caveats. “Let’s say that 3 to 4% of the population has really addictive DNA that could get addicted to running or taking saunas. But for the majority of people, it’s not.”

Microdosing can actually treat addictions

Taking psychedelics can even help people with nicotine, alcohol and opioid addictions, according to Lorenzo. “So that’s the opposite of what we actually think about when we read about or talk about psychedelics.” This has been proven in double blind, placebo controlled studies in high doses of psilocybin with nicotine addiction for example. 4 times more people helped then with traditional nicotine substitute medication.

He adds: “That was incredible and convinced Nicolas and myself to not just be OK with it, but to be a 100% in.” 

“It’s crazy how legal substances are still much more addictive, much more harmful, and much more easily accessible to everybody compared to non-legal substances that actually help people,” Lorenzo says. “That’s something we think about and talk about a lot with politicians, scientists and doctors. It’s something that’s changing.”

People mainly microdose for self-improvement

Around 30% of people who microdose through Aydoo do it for their mental wellbeing, Lorenzo says. He gives the example of a mom with kids who wanted to stop taking antidepressants because they made her feel numb. 

Another third microdose to boost energy and focus. “Like a software engineer or entrepreneur who wants to focus more on what matters and leave the clutter behind,” Lorenzo explains. 

And the rest? They’re generally older people with a cognitive decline who see psilocybin as a supplement that could help them to regenerate neurons. 

Microdosing is being more conscious about what you’re feeling

“We have 100 plus members from only this year,” Lorenzo says. “And a whole lot of their stories are about numbing down and finding other ways to cope with things.” He gives the example of women who feel a loss of energy – and a loss of themselves – after giving birth. 

“They feel like part of themselves is missing. That’s linked to energy, but it’s also stress about the future, which is linked to anxiety, or just thinking about what happened in the past, which is linked to more depressive thoughts.”

And the rest? They’re generally older people with a cognitive decline who see psilocybin as a supplement that could help them to regenerate neurons. 

Psilocybin is also used by women who are going through a rough period with menopause, Lorenzo adds. 

Microdosing is not a daily occurrence for most people

Lorenzo reiterated throughout our conversation that microdosing doesn’t have to be a long-term program. It’s more of a once-every-three-days thing. Or twice a week. Everyone has their own schedule, he explains. 

Taken with access to a therapist, in a safe setting, it can be life-changing, he adds. 

Lorenzo points out that the Aydoo team doesn’t want people to go to extremes where they’re microdosing too often over a long period. “For us, it’s the opposite,” he says. “Microdose for a month or two, then pause and take a break. Then maybe you do it again.”

This describes Lorenzo’s relationship with psilocybin. “I haven’t microdosed now for, like, three months,” he says. “And I still reconnect with the things I learned or did while I was microdosing. Doing more sports, eating more healthy, being more in connection with my kids when I go home – and not being on my phone.”

These are things he didn’t do before, he says. “I focused on it and now it’s part of my routine. It’s part of my habit.”

Aydoo sticks to strict guidelines

Microdosers go through an in-depth assessment when they sign up with Aydoo, because some individuals should not take psychedelics – ”people with schizophrenia and personality disorders, for example,” says Lorenzo. “That’s something to be careful with.”  

He points out they Aydoo shares practical tips and tricks about microdosing with their customers – how you can actually do it and how it can be helpful for you. “Then it starts with the package being sent to the person and they can start their protocol and also send messages in an app where they can ask questions 24/7 to the coaches,” Lorenzo says. 

Microdosing is not about physiological effects. 

“It’s not that the psilocybin relaxes the muscles,” says Lorenzo. “It’s not like a pill from a drugstore. It acts on the brain and then you’re able to release, accept or focus on certain things. And that’s what actually gives energy. That’s what relieves depressive thoughts or anxiety.”

Aydoo are currently taking part in a study using some of its members to research the effects of coaching and microdosing. Medical research on the topic is still super new in Europe, as Lorenzo points out: “There’s not a lot of lab-based or clinical studies. But on the other hand, there are 350,000 people on Reddit talking about how they microdose every day. And they share a lot of knowledge!”

He adds: “There’s not a lot of data or studies using “real” science, but there’s plenty of citizen science, millions of people microdosing, where we see very interesting results.” 

Business Wise

Aydoo raised a first pre-seed round in 2022, and is now preparing the second round of investment. Aydoo is open to European based investors with a clear interest in Psychedelic science and helping with the same vision. Help as many people microdose in a safe and guided way all around Europe. Ticket sizes between 100K€ and 250K€.

Voila! Those are some of Lorenzo’s thoughts on microdosing. If you’re interested in learning more, listen to the podcast episode. And to see the research behind the claims of Aydoo’s founder, check out the links to scientific articles on the company website.