There seems to be a lot of interest in mushroom products which are touted for fighting cancer and heart disease. But is this a load of hype or is there some truth in these claims? This article is going to have a look at type of mushroom known as Lion’s Mane.

A Few Facts About Lion’s Mane Mushrooms. (Hericium Erinaceus)

They are also known as ‘Pom Pom’ mushrooms and ‘Monkey Head’ mushrooms.

They are indigenous to North America, Asia and Europe and grow higher up in the trees; therefore, they’re hard to spot. Just to let you know, it’s illegal to forage them in the UK, if you can be bothered to go up a ladder to pick them.

These mushrooms are parasitic and have an appetite for dead organic matter like rotting wood.

Now, the most important question, what do they taste like? I’ve not tried them, yet but I understand they taste a bit like seafood and have a similar texture to white bread. You can use them as a meat substitute, and they can be added, in powder form to soups, stews, salads, stir-fries, smoothies, teas, coffee, or you can eat them alone as a side dish, raw or cooked.

The Chinese have used them in their medicine for thousands of years.

Are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Good for You?
A few animal and test tube studies show that lion’s mane mushrooms may: -

1. Protect you from Alzheimer’s Disease. One study on mice showed that their symptoms of memory loss and neuronal damage caused by amyloid-beta plagues which accumulate on the brain, during Alzheimer’s Disease was reduced by being fed these mushrooms.

In another study, in 2020, cognitive test scores were significantly improved in
people who took 1g of lion’s mane mushroom extracts, daily, for 49 weeks compared with those who took placebos.

2. Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some studies of mice show that lion’s mane extract can help regenerate brain cells and improve the functioning of the hippocampus (a region of your brain that processes memories and emotional responses) and may explain the reductions in anxious and depressive behaviours in mice receiving those extracts.

Furthermore, in 2010, a study of menopausal women found that their irritation and anxiety was reduced by eating cookies, daily for a month, containing lion’s mane mushrooms.

3. Rat studies have shown that lion’s mane extracts can speed up recovery from nervous system injuries.

4. Help treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease.

5. Reduce the risk of heart disease. In 2010, a study where rats were fed a high fat diet and given daily doses of lion’s mane extract showed that the rats triglyceride levels were lowered by 27% and had 42% less weight gain after 28 days. These super mushrooms also have a compound called, ‘hericenone’ B which can reduce the rate of blood clotting, thereby lowering the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

6. Help manage diabetic symptoms. Lion’s mane mushrooms have been found to lower blood sugar levels in both normal and diabetic mice.

7. Help to fight cancer. When lion’s mane mushrooms were mixed with human cancer cells in a test tube, they cause those cells to die faster.

8. Boost your immune system. The mushrooms have been shown to increase the activity of the intestinal immune system, which protects your body from pathogens that enter your gut through your mouth or nose.

Before you excitedly buy it...

You’ve probably noticed that there are only a few human studies on lion’s mane mushrooms. And there maybe some of you who won’t be able to take them because they could cause adverse reactions with any medication you’re taking, or you could be allergic to mushrooms. Therefore, it would be a good idea to consult your doctor first.

Sources: feelgoodhealth.co.za, healthline.com, verywellmind.com, everydayhealth.com, medicalnewstoday.com

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Rachel Duerden is a health and well-being blogger. She is on a mission to educate and inspire others to not only lead a healthy lifestyle but to also appreciate and enjoy its benefits. Being obsessed with food, she writes a lot about it and is regularly blown away by the health benefits of different foods which is backed up by science.