Lion's Mane

At certain points in history, this odd-looking fungus was reserved for royalty, due to its noticeable benefits supporting brain health and its regal, lion-like appearance. The most well-developed research on the benefits of Lion’s Mane focuses on its cognitive functions, with new studies pointing to its powerful abilities when used by people who have Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease (1). Lion’s mane is used often for brain health; recently there was a study conducted on 50 to 80-year-old Japanese men and women who were diagnosed with “mind cognitive impairment” who participated in a controlled, double bind study where the use of lion’s mane mushroom showed “significantly increased scores” on their cognitive function performance. “The results obtained in this study suggest that Yamabushitake (lion’s mane) is effective in improving mind cognitive impairment (2).”

NGF, known as the Nerve Growth factor is a main component in the compounds of this mushroom. This factor provides a key role in our bodies regulation of growth, maintenance, and survival of certain neurons. In another study, it was concluded that consumption of Lion’s mane “contains active compounds that stimulate NGF synthesis” (3). Other features of consuming Lion’s mane regularly include its ability to support digestive health and the circulatory system. This mushroom has high antioxidant levels and may improve the functions of your stomach and digestive system. In recent studies, the use of this mushroom has shown to shrink stomach ulcers (4).