Lion's Mane is your "Brain-saver".

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a type of mushroom that grows on broadleaf trees and logs. This is widely available throughout the northern hemisphere, as fresh, powder, decoction, or supplement form. This super mushroom contians various beneficial nutrients including antioxidants and beta-glucans, which mainly supports the nervous system, digestive and cardiovasucular health.

Research demonstrates that lion’s mane may improve cognition in healthy patients or individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The dose taken to improve performance on cognitive testing was 3g per day. The study showed that the effect wears off when you stop taking it, so to maintain the benefits you are best to continue taking it. By the way - it's great added to coffee.

Another study suggests that Lion’s mane may reduce inflammation and biological markers of Alzheimer’s Disease (i.e., amyloid plaques). Other effects were improved cognition, and increases in the release of nerve growth factor, a protein that can increase the length of nerve cell processes.

More research is underway!

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash

In Summary, use Lion's Mane to

• Support healthy brain function (1)
• Possible neuroprotective and neuroregenerative function (2)
• Improve cognitive function (3)
• Assist the growth of healthy gut bacteria (4)

... and more.

Suggested dose

• Studies demonstrate 3g (about 1 tsp) daily to be effective.
• For gut health you can increase it to up to 2 tblsp daily. You can mix it with soups, tea or coffee, or simply hot/cold water.

Storage

• Best to keep in dry, cool place in an airtight container, Keep away from moisture and direct sunlight.

Reference:

1. Li, I. C., Lee, L. Y., Tzeng, T. T., Chen, W. P., Chen, Y. P., Shiao, Y. J., & Chen, C. C. (2018). Neurohealth properties of Hericium erinaceus mycelia enriched with erinacines. Behavioural Neurology, 2018, 5802634. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5802634
2. Spelman, K., Sutherland, E., & Bagade, A. (2017). Neurological activity of Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus). JRM, 2017. https://doi.org/10.14200/jrm.2017.6.0108
3. Saitsu, Y., Nishide, A., Kikushima, K., Shimizu, K., & Ohnuki, K. (2019). Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical Research (Tokyo, Japan), 40(4), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.40.125
4. Diling C., Xin Y., Chaoqun Z., Jian Y., Xiaocui T., Jun C., Ou S., Yizhen X. Extracts from Hericium erinaceus relieve inflammatory bowel disease by regulating immunity and gut microbiota. Oncotarget. 2017; 8: 85838-85857. Retrieved from https://www.oncotarget.com/article/20689/text/