Can food make you hallucinate? 7 foods with seriously weird side effects

To some people, the question of can food make you hallucinate might seem like it has an obvious answer. After all, mushrooms already have quite a notorious reputation in this regard.

However, beyond trippy fungi, it turns out that there are actually plenty of edibles that can have an unusual effect.

food hallucinations Some foods can cause hallucinations (Credit: Pixabay)

Can food make you hallucinate? Yes it can

For several reasons, there are certain foods that can be as psychedelic as they are satiating. The symptoms can range from mildly distorting to a full-blown acid trip.

1. Rye Bread

It might be more fashionable than your standard white sandwich loaf, but rye bread can pack a hidden punch.Very occasionally, a rye crop will become contaminated with a fungus known as ergot.

The ergot fungus, as described by Bon Appetit, is “known to thrive on rye and...contains chemicals similar to LSD." So powerful is the effect that it is believed by some to be the chief cause of the hysteria surrounding the Salem witch trials.

Mulberries can cause side effects if eaten before they are ripe (Credit: Alamy/Valentyn Volkov)

2. Mulberries

More associated with nursery rhyming than hard drug use, mulberries are another ingredient that’s full of surprises.

If eaten before they are ripe, mulberries can produce powerful, mind-altering hallucinations that, according to the author Tom Brown, can cause “shadows to become animated, and colours strange”, as well as induce vomiting and hysterical laughter.

Honey hallucinations Mad Honey was once used as a weapon of war (Credit: Alamy/Brent Hofacker)

3. Honey

It might be mostly used to take your toast to the next level, but not all honey is created equal. Grown in the mountains of Turkey, the appropriately named “mad honey” has been known to cause everything from mild lightheadedness to a fully-fledged trip.

In fact, so potent is the honey that it was once used in battle to befuddle and ultimately defeat an invading Roman army.

can food make you hallucinate Nutmeg contains the powerful chemical mysticin (Credit: Alamy/Andrii Hrytsenko)

4. Nutmeg

Best known for bringing a touch of sophistication to your mac and cheese, nutmeg is an ingredient that can do a whole lot more than spice up your cooking.

Thanks to a chemical known as mysticin, large quantities of nutmeg are capable of causing an LSD-like trip that can last up to two days.

Dried chillies food make you hallucinate Hot chillies can have trippy side effects (Credit: Alamy/Simon Reddy)

5. Chillies

The famous Simpsons scene where Homer completely loses his mind after attempting to tackle Chief Wiggum’s ferocious chili con carne might be a joke, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a grain of truth to it.

Some diners have reported experiencing euphoria and disorientation after eating a particularly hot curry. In fact, in some cases, hot pepper challenges can actually lead to full-blown trips.

Stilton cheese can cause strange side effects (Credit: Alamy/Altin Osmanaj)

6. Stilton

Whether or not eating cheese before bed has any effect whatsoever is a subject of some debate.

There have been many compelling reports of stilton-induced nightmares and lucid dreams, making it a prime candidate for this list. Although scientists dispute the claims, the circumstantial evidence is as strong as the cheese.

can food cause you to hallucinate Sarpa Salpa fish can cause hallucinations thanks to an algae that grows on its skin (Credit: Alamy/Roberto Nistri)

7. Fish

It might be known for producing some of the tastiest seafood on earth, but the Mediterranean is also home to a highly unusual edible resident.

Sarpa salpa, which is known in Arabic as the “fish that makes dreams”, might look fairly nondescript, but its flesh packs a serious psychedelic punch. This is thanks to the toxic and hallucinogenic algae that grows on its skin.