Scientists in US claim to have deciphered the actual active element of magic mushrooms, psilocybin, which aides in lowering anxiety and aiding in bettering the moods of people suffering from cancer.

It was a work of Charles Grob from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, in association with his colleagues, hired 12 people suffering from advanced-stage cancer with anxiety disorders.

The patients received a shot of psilocybin or the vitamin niacin, reports New Scientist. And several weeks later they were offered another treatment.

The patients were checked for the '' heart rate, blood pressure and temperature" during the course of each treatment. They were checked for levels of depression, anxiety and mood.

The respondents stated that they were depressed and anxious for two weeks soon after getting shots of psilocybin but not two weeks after niacin alone. Six months after the shots, the level of depression was reported to be lower in case of volunteers when compared to volunteers before the treatments began.

The study has been published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, DOI.