Lion's Mane Mushroom is one of the most interesting medicinal mushrooms that can be found today. While the tea made from these mushrooms has been used for centuries in Japan, the mushrooms are increasingly being studied for their neuroprotective effects. This is particularly good news given that deaths from Alzheimer's disease have surged
roughly 66% over the last decade.
Since 1991, only a handful of studies have been published on the neuroregenerative properties of lion's mane mushrooms. In 2009, a small clinical study which found that giving the mild cognitive impairment resulted in significant benefits for as long as they consumed the mushrooms. In a more recent study, researchers found that memory-impaired mice that were fed a diet containing 5% dried lion's mane mushrooms for 23 days performed significantly better during a maze test.
And it's not just the brain that seems to benefit from this mushroom. During a small Japanese study involcing a randomized sample of 30 women, ingesting lion's mane showed that it had the "possibility to reduce depression and anxiety".
These results have caused members of the scientific community to wonder if we should be focusing more on these mushrooms. If lion's mane enhances memory and is an antidepressant, perhaps it can alter the course of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's patients or multiple sclerosis. Or maybe it could just be a great way to maintain your mental acumen as you age?
Since 1991, only a handful of studies have been published on the neuroregenerative properties of lion's mane mushrooms. In 2009, a small clinical study which found that giving the mild cognitive impairment resulted in significant benefits for as long as they consumed the mushrooms. In a more recent study, researchers found that memory-impaired mice that were fed a diet containing 5% dried lion's mane mushrooms for 23 days performed significantly better during a maze test.
And it's not just the brain that seems to benefit from this mushroom. During a small Japanese study involcing a randomized sample of 30 women, ingesting lion's mane showed that it had the "possibility to reduce depression and anxiety".
These results have caused members of the scientific community to wonder if we should be focusing more on these mushrooms. If lion's mane enhances memory and is an antidepressant, perhaps it can alter the course of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's patients or multiple sclerosis. Or maybe it could just be a great way to maintain your mental acumen as you age?
