MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS

In this edition, I hope to educate and inform about medicinal mushrooms, specifically about lion’s mane mushrooms.

Lion’s mane mushrooms, also known as Hericium erinaceus, hou tou gu or yamabushitake, have both culinary and medicinal uses in Asian countries like China, India, Japan, and Korea. They have been used for centuries as medicine.  Lion’s mane mushrooms are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane as they grow. They contain bioactive substances that have many beneficial effects on the body, especially the brain, heart, and gut. Consuming lion’s mane mushrooms could protect against dementia. The brain’s ability to grow and form new connections typically declines with age, which may explain why mental functioning worsens in many older adults. Scientific studies have found that lion’s mane mushrooms contain two special compounds that can stimulate the growth of brain cells: hericenones and erinacine. Additionally, animal studies have found that lion’s mane may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disease that causes progressive memory loss. In fact, lion’s mane mushroom and its extracts have been shown to reduce symptoms of memory loss in mice, as well as prevent neuronal damage caused by amyloid-beta plaques, which accumulate in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease.

A 2020 study of people with mild Alzheimer’s disease found that supplementation with 1 gram of lion’s mane mushroom daily for 49 weeks significantly improved cognitive test scores compared to a placebo. The ability of lion’s mane mushroom to promote nerve growth and protect the brain from Alzheimer-related damage may explain some of its beneficial effects on brain health. However, it’s important to note that most of the research has been conducted on animals or in test tubes.  Lion’s mane mushrooms contain compounds that stimulate brain cell growth and protect them from damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research involving humans is needed.

Other scientific studies suggest that lion’s mane mushrooms may help relieve mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. Other animal studies have found that lion’s mane extract can also help regenerate brain cells and improve the functioning of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that processes memories and emotional responses. Rat studies have found that lion’s mane extract can speed up recovery from nervous system injuries. Further, lion’s mane extract has been shown to protect against stomach and intestinal ulcers in rodents.  Animal and test-tube studies suggest that lion’s mane extract can reduce the risk of heart disease in several ways. 

In addition, these mushrooms contain powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help reduce the impact of chronic illness. Research shows that lion’s mane mushroom can boost immunity by increasing the activity of the intestinal immune system, which protects the body from pathogens that enter the gut through the mouth or nose.  The immune-boosting effects of lion’s mane mushrooms are very promising, but this research area is still developing.  Lion’s mane mushroom can help lower blood sugar and reduce diabetic nerve pain. Some research suggests that the lion’s mane mushroom has cancer-fighting abilities thanks to several of its unique compounds. Also, more research is needed on humans to better understand the above correlations. While the use of lion’s mane mushrooms may reap many benefits if you include them in your diet, one should never embark on a medicinal adventure without consulting a physician.