It is beautiful – majestic and pure looking. What is lion’s mane – and what can it do for you? 2022 will be the year that medicinal mushrooms come into the spotlight. You’ll read tons in the media about what they are, what types there are, and what they can do for you. Because of their diverse and adaptable health benefits, mushrooms have been used medicinally for thousands of years. With the rise of functional medicine and holistic nutrition, we are seeing a rebirth of interest in these amazing superfoods.

Overview of medicinal mushrooms!

Medicinal mushrooms are nutritious powerhouses that offer a wide range of health benefits, including:

• Increase energy and stamina
• Support the immune system
• High in antioxidants
• Support a healthy inflammatory response
• Helps control blood sugar levels
• Support brain health and cognition
• Optimize the nervous system

The 7 most beneficial medicinal mushrooms

The healthiest mushrooms to add to your diet are:

• Reishi
• Cordyceps
• Lion’s mane
• Chaga
• Maitake
• Shiitake
• Turkey tail

Digging deeper into Lions Mane

It lives in the forest, the unique edible Lion’s Mane mushroom or Hericium Erinaceus. With its white color standing out against autumn leaves and green moss, it is bright and striking. The Veluwe near the Leuvenum Forest in the Netherlands is where it is most often photographed.

Lion’s Mane is known to increase brain function, productivity, concentration, and overall well-being.

Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium Erinaceus) is also known as hou tou gu or yamabushitake, and its current name comes from its appearance.

It is all about the mind-Uses throughout the ages

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Hou Tou Gu is the name given to the lion’s mane in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (monkey head mushroom). This mushroom is used by Chinese medicine doctors to treat the spleen, associated with digestion, vitality and water control. This medicinal mushroom is also used in TCM as a tonic for stress-related diseases (neurasthenia) and energy deficiency (qi deficiency).

Lion’s Mane is known in Japan as Yamabushitake, after the Buddhist Shugend monks who worshipped it. These monks drank lion’s mane tea to improve their medidations and concentration. Pre-colonial peoples in the United States, Canada and Australia also used lion’s mane as a medicine and food. This mushroom has proven to be a good choice for improving cognitive function. Lion’s mane mushrooms can be eaten fresh, roasted, dried or soaked in a drink. It is found in a type of tea, coffee, elixirs and other beverages. Extracts from them are often used in over-the-counter health products. So there are a variety of ways and forms that you can benefit from and enjoy more.

Lion’s Mane for brain health

Dementia is a double-edged sword that affects both sufferers and their families. Many of the pharmacological chemicals that can help with cognitive decline occur naturally, which is fortunate. One specialist describes how a certain fungus can help prevent Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s.

Dementia continues to be a global health crisis that is draining resources around the world. Although pharmaceutical companies have made significant efforts to combat the disease, attempts have had little success. In the absence of a treatment, scientists have focused their efforts on the protective properties of foods, particularly mushrooms.

Because it promotes the formation of new cells in the brain, the lion’s cap mushroom has become a well-known candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Where do the benefits come from?
The benefits of Lion’s Mane are due to the ability of the terpenoids contained in both the mycelium and fruiting body of this mushroom to improve brain function and neurological well-being.

Terpenoids are plant chemicals that promote the production of nerve growth factors, thereby relieving inflammation and nerve pain. This can lead to the regeneration of injured nerves and improved cognitive performance, usually manifested by a reduction in brain fog and increased concentration.

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Neurological benefits!

Lion’s Mane also alleviates depression and protects against neurological disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Due to its neuroprotective properties, Lion’s Mane also promotes sleep and stress management. A recent Japanese study backs up these claims, showing that the mushroom can help people with mild cognitive impairment in just a few weeks.

The study was conducted with a group of 30 people, all of whom had mild cognitive impairment at baseline. Over the course of 16 weeks, the participants who consumed Lion’s Mane three times a day showed significant changes. These results are confirmed by a number of other studies, some of which indicate that the mushroom’s ability to control blood sugar is a significant benefit for dementia patients.

If you add CBD (cannabidiol) to Lion’s Mane, the effect doubles even more. Cannabidiol for brain health – if you want to learn more about CBD for brain health, click here.

Can Lion’s Mane help with anxiety and depression?

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental illnesses. Do any of these terms sound familiar? They are among the most common “modern diseases” that exist today. Fast-paced, stressful lives do more damage to us than we realize, and we often do not realize it until it has a serious impact on our health and well-being. According to recent statistics, one in three people in industrialized countries suffers from symptoms of sadness or anxiety. That’s why it’s so important to fight against it even before we are aware that we might be in a crisis.

The anti-inflammatory properties of this mushroom have been demonstrated in new research conducted on mice, suggesting that its extract may help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

It is believed that anxiety and sadness are reduced in their effects by improving the functions of the hippocampus (a part of the brain responsible for processing memories and emotional responses). So what is the connection between this fact and our topic? Other animal studies have shown that the extract from the lion’s mane can support the regeneration of medullary cells and thus improve the function of the hippocampus.

We can further add that CBD has the same benefits for anxiety and depression, and mixed with Lion’s Mane can further improve the results of treating these conditions.

Antioxidant – Lions Mane 

Antioxidants help eliminate “free radicals,” chemicals that can damage cells. According to studies, Lion’s Mane is rich in antioxidants, especially phenol, an antioxidant that is absorbed in the intestines and helps prevent inflammation. In a 2011 study, Lion’s Mane was ranked “fairly high” on the antioxidant index, along with Reishi and Fission Mushroom.

According to a study published in 2021, the antioxidant activity of mushroom extracts remained constant for at least one month before dropping by half after 4 months.

Lion’s mane boosts the immune system
With so many antioxidants, it’s no surprise that lion’s mane can support the immune system. However, researchers have discovered a new way to improve immunity: the gut.

A 2017 study in mice showed that the protein in lion’s mane mushrooms, similar to prebiotics and probiotics, could boost the immune system by supporting the colony of beneficial bacteria in the stomach.

How to take lion’s mane?

The uncomplicated method: Fresh
Lion’s Mane has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years.

Unlike other medicinal mushrooms, Lion’s Mane has a very mild flavor and soft texture. Many people even compare it to seafood such as crab, scallops or lobster, as it has a similar delicate and slightly stringy texture.

This means that many people consume it as you would eat a mushroom from the supermarket.

Lion’s mane tea is the traditional kind.

Tea is a traditional way to consume lion’s mane. This is because hot water helps extract the beneficial elements of the mushroom. Many other medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi, cordyceps and turkey tail, are similar.

To prepare Lion’s Mane tea, you need to soak the dried or fresh mushrooms in hot water.

Many people recommend steeping the tea longer than you normally would to get the most out of the mushrooms. For example, some recipes recommend boiling the mushrooms in water for about twenty minutes to extract all the flavors.

Lion’s mane powder can also be used to brew tea. Brewing time is reduced by half when the mushroom is pulverized, presumably because the surface area is so much greater.

Some recipes recommend steeping the powder in a tea strainer for 10 minutes before drinking (or simply pouring it loosely into a cup).

You can add different flavors to your tea depending on how much you like the taste of Lion’s Mane. Spices from chai tea are a popular addition.

Approach to supplementation – Lion’s Mane in capsules

In the world of trendy solutions, Lion’s Mane capsules are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. One or two pills per day are usually enough for them.

Depending on where you get your capsules, the instructions may vary. However, most companies recommend taking the capsules with a meal. While taking Lion’s Mane in capsule form is simple and convenient.

CBD and lion’s mane capsules with gotu kola. An easy to take capsule to improve memory, focus and concentration. Give your brain a boost when you need to be creative and concentrate for long periods of time.