In last few years more and more people are acknowledging benefits of mushrooms. In my last post I described some of amazing properties of mushroom Phellinus ellipsoideus cap fibers called mycelium: Link. In this post I will describe amazing medical benefits of mushroom Lion’s Mane (Hericium Erinaceus):
Lion mane mushroom got it name because (you guessed it) it looks like lion mane. Some also called it Hedgehog mushroom.
Lion mane mushrooms naturally grows in North America, China and Japan, while in Europe it is rare. In a natural environment, it is usually found on dehydrated trees such as oak and beech in the late summer and fall. In Europe, it is mostly grown only in laboratories under strictly controlled conditions, which correspond to it's natural environment.
Lion mane is a mushroom among the most appreciated edible mushrooms. But it reputation in medical science is as great as in culinary art. This medical mushroom is called natural food for neurons because of its ability to regenerate the nervous system. The Japanese nicknamed Lion mane as "21st century Mushroom", according to the slogan that this century is devoted to the brain.
American and Chinese experts have succeeded in extracting two active ingredients - hericenone and erinacine - from the liver of mushrooms that promote the production of neuronal growth factor (NGF). Neuronal growth factor is a protein that plays a significant role in the health and longevity of several types of nerve cells in the central and peripheral nervous system. The mentioned active substances from Lion mane mushroom can affect the brain because of it's low molecular weight it can easy move from the bloodstream to the brain. In addition to regenerating neurons, active substances from Lion mane are once again building a protective myelin of the nerves . In this way, the neural conductivity for signals that are essential for communication between the nerve cells is enhanced.
The most important ingredients of Lion mane are derivatives:
Cyathane (diterpenoids)
Beta-D-glucan
Ergosterol (provitamin D2)
Erinacin Q and R
Xylan
Glyoxyl
Glycosyl
Galactoxyl glucan
Hetero beta glucan
Some doctors like dr. Paul Stamets, a specialist in medical mushrooms recommend taking Lion mane as therapy for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
Dr. Paul Stamets explain Lion mane mushroom benefits to Joe Rogan:
Clinical studies about Lion mane mushroom :
The first study on the neurocognitive effects of Lion mane mushroom was carried out in 1991 in Japan by dr.Kawagishi who first indetified Nerve Growth Factors (NGFs) effect cused by Lion mane mushroom. Much further research has confirmed that hericenones and erinacins stimulate the repair of nerve cells. In one of the recent studies, completed in 2009 at the Hokuto Corporation and the Isogo Central and Neurosurgical Hospital, 30 Japanese people with mild cognitive impairment were treated with this mushroom. The therapy brought significant improvements that lasted as long as patients took mushrooms. From the study:
“The subjects of the Yamabushitake group took four 250 mg tablets containing 96 percent of Yamabushitake dry powder three times a day for 16 weeks. After termination of the intake, the subjects were observed for the next four weeks. At weeks eight, 12 and 16 of the trial, the Yamabushitake group showed significantly increased scores on the cognitive function scale compared with the placebo group. The Yamabushitake group’s scores increased with the duration of intake, but at week four after the termination of the 16 weeks intake, the scores decreased significantly.”
Lion mane effect on the brain is not limited only to cognitive but affects other functions of body. One of the clinical studies conducted in Japan in 2010 showed that post-menopausal women who eat roasted Lion mane felt less anxiety and depression while their ability to concentrate was enhanced. Source
Recently, experiments were conducted where mice were injected with neurotoxic peptides. It was experiment to assess the effects of lion’s mane on the type of amyloid plaque formation seen in Alzheimer’s patients. Then, the mice were challenged in a standard “Y” maze, designed for testing memory. Mice were separated in two groups; one were fed with a normal diet, other one's were supplemented with lion’s mane mushrooms. Mice with peptide-induced plaque lost ability to memorize the maze. Those mice with lost memory started to be fed with diet containing 5 % Lion’s mane mushrooms for 23 days. It was showed that those mice performed significantly better in the Y maze test after taking Lion mane. One other positive side effect happen; the mice regained another cognitive capacity; they started to spent more time exploring novel objects compared to familiar ones. The difference of beta amyloid plaques in brains of mice fed with Lion mane vs. the mice not fed any mushrooms was remarkable. Many researchers believe that amyloid plaques formations is a primary morphological biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s. Source
Some other studies showed Lion mane has potential for helping in Parkinson’s disease, improving digestion, cholesterol regulation, blood sugar reduction, multiple sclerosis, dementia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, autism, anorexia, bulimia, muscular dystrophy, gastric ulcers, gastritis and rejuvenation of skin.
Research about benefits of mushrooms is relatively new, so there is no so many detailed studies to give 100% conclusion about positive effects of mushrooms in specific area of study. But strong indication that mushrooms got great medical potential is that all medical studies showed great benefits on health of tested subjects.