What Are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
Lion’s mane mushrooms are big, white mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane. Although they’re generally thought of as a single type of mushroom, there are three different species. Hericium erinaceus is the one that’s most widely available.
Lion’s mane mushrooms usually look like white pom-poms and are used as both food and medicine. They are extensively used in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, India, and China.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are rich in vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. They are also a good source of essential minerals such as manganese, zinc, and potassium.
Research suggests that lion’s mane may have several health benefits.
Recommended dose is 1 – 4 capsules a day, taken with food
Fighting inflammation and free radicals
Many health conditions, including heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, involve chronic inflammation and the effects of unstable molecules in our bodies called free radicals. Lion’s mane mushrooms contain potentially potent antioxidants, which are substances that limit the damage of free radicals. They also contain anti-inflammatory substances that show promise in animal studies.
Some studies in animals and small, preliminary studies in people suggest lion’s mane mushrooms might have a role in the prevention or treatment of cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.
For example, in one study of 30 older adults with mild cognitive impairment, those who took tablets containing Hericium erinaceus powder for 4 months showed a temporary improvement on cognitive tests. The mushrooms have also been shown to slow Alzheimer’s symptoms and brain changes linked to the disease in mice.
Reducing anxiety and depression
Lion’s mane extracts could help treat some mental health conditions. To test this possibility, a study was carried out on Japanese women with many health conditions, including menopausal symptoms and poor sleep. Some were given cookies made with lion’s mane extracts while others were given placebo cookies for 4 weeks.
The women who got the lion’s mane cookies reported lower levels of depressive symptoms and stress compared to the placebo group.
Hericenones and erinacines, two kinds of chemicals in lion’s mane mushrooms, may be responsible for any antidepressant effect, researchers believe. These chemicals affect the release of nerve growth factor (NGF), a substance that regulates the growth and survival of brain cells. Conventional antidepressant drugs may work by changing NGF levels.
Lion’s mane mushrooms contain chemicals that might promote the growth, survival, and function of both new and mature nerve cells in the brain and elsewhere. Animal studies suggest that these compounds, unlike some experimental treatments, are able to get from the bloodstream into the brain, crossing the blood-brain barrier.
For those reasons, there’s growing interest in trying the mushrooms in a long list of conditions, including:
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Nerve injuries
Managing diabetes
Lion’s mane mushrooms have been shown to lower blood sugar and raise insulin levels in lab rats with diabetes. Researchers think antioxidants in the mushrooms may explain these possible effects.
Research in animals also suggests the mushrooms might help with diabetic nerve pain.
Fighting stomach ulcers
Mushrooms, including lion’s mane mushrooms, are often used as stomach remedies in traditional medicine. In one rat study, extracts from lion’s mane mushrooms protected the animals from ulcers, partly by thickening mucus in the stomach lining. The researchers found that rats getting the highest doses of the extracts got the most protection.
Lab and animal studies also suggest the mushrooms can slow the growth of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of bacteria linked with many stomach ulcers.
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