We have already scratched the surface of the health benefits that you can get by using the traditional chinese medicinal mushroom, so now we are going to dig a little deeper about the practical output that you can get in your everyday life.
By using Lion’s Mane mushroom you can improve your brain functions and improve your productivity, focus and overall well-being.
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) mushroom is also known as hou tou gu or yamabushitake and they got its modern name by how it looks as it grows. It is white, large, shaggy mushroom that resembles a white lion’s mane. It can also be found by the names monkey head mushroom, bearded tooth mushroom, satyr’s beard, bearded hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or bearded tooth fungus.
You can enjoy Lion’s Mane mushrooms raw, cooked, dried or steeped as a drink. You can find it in a form of tea, coffee, elixirs etc. Their extracts are often also used in over-the-counter health supplements. So there are many ways and forms that you can benefit from and make the process more enjoyable.
Here we are going to share several proven health benefits from Lion’s Mane.
Fights against Dementia
Neurodegenerative Diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia are conditions that result from cell degeneration in the brain. Our brain’s ability to wire new connections decreases with time and that is one possible explanation why when we get older we have the tendency of our brain’s functions to weaken.
Studies have found that there are two special compounds in lion’s mane mushrooms that can stimulate the growth of brain cells: hericenones and erinacines.
From studies with mice, Lion’s Mane is believed to be able to prevent the neuronal damage from amyloid-beta plaques, which accumulate in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease and reduces the symptoms of memory loss. For now no such studies have been executed with humans.
However there are studies with adults that show great results for improving the brain functioning. In just four months they have seen huge improvement in the older people who took 3 grams of powdered Lion’s Mane daily.
So despite the facts we need to keep in mind most of the studies have been conducted in animals or test tubes, so there is a need for more research with humans.
Helps in reducing the symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Depression and Anxiety. Sounding familiar? There are some of the most common “modern diseases”. The stressful life at high speed is causing us more damage than what we realise and usually we fail to see it before it has major consequences. According to the statistics every one in three people in the developed countries experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. This is why it’s so important to fight against it even before we know we may have a problem. So we of course also have looked at the way of chinese medicine and that is the other thing that pointed us towards Lion’s Mane mushroom.
A new research conducted with mice has shown that the extract of this mushroom can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety, because of its anti-inflammatory effects.
Scientists believe that improving the functions of the hippocampus (a region of the brain responsible for processing memories and emotional responses) can be the reason for lowering the effects of anxiety and depression. So how is this related to our topic. Well other studies with animals have shown that lion’s Mane extract can help with regeneration of brand cells and therefore improve the hippocampus functioning better.
Boosts your immunity
We believe that now more than ever we need to be conscious of our health and boost the immune system that is responsible to protect us from viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens.
Another study with animals shows that lion’s mane can boost immunity by increasing the activity of the intestinal immune system, responsible for protecting the body from pathogens that enter the gut through the mouth or nose. In the global situation last year, that is really important information that is good to be known.
One study even found that mice injected with a lethal dose of salmonella bacteria nearly quadrupled the lifespan as a result of supplementing with lion’s mane extract daily.
Lion’s Mane immune-boosting effects are very promising, but this area of research is still developing.
As a summary we want to say that there are many more benefits that have been proven by the studies and by the years of use in traditional chinese medicine. We will keep informing you with every new proven information that we see coming out.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lions-mane-mushroom
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-lions-mane-89474
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
Please keep in mind at all times that none of the content published on the “Mushrooms Health” Foundation website constitutes any form of health or medical advice or recommendation. The information on our website is valid for a cumulative number of cases, and cannot be viewed as any type or form of medical advice. We insist that you consult a medical professional if you have any type of diagnosed medical condition, or have reasons to believe you have an undiagnosed one. The “Mushrooms Health” Foundation team is hereby released of any responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, which may arise out of applying or failing to apply any information published on this website.