Lion’s mane mushroom
Scientific names: Hericium erinaceus
Other common names: Yamabushitake, or monkey’s head mushroom
TRADITIONAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF LION’S MANE MUSHROOM
Immune Support, Energy support, Stress Support, Brain & Cognitive support, Heart & Vascular support, Men, Women
WHAT IS Lion’s mane mushroom USED FOR?
Hericium erinaceus is a medicinal-culinary mushroom widely found in East Asian countries and is commonly known as lion’s mane mushroom, Yamabushitake, or monkey’s head mushroom. Hericium erinaceus has a long history as a medicine and has been found to promote positive nerve and brain health. It has great potential in treating neurological disorders as it contains neurotrophic compounds that can pass through the blood–brain barrier. Bioactive compounds extracted from its fruiting body or mycelium have been demonstrated to possess antioxidative, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, and hypolipidemic properties. Moreover, H. erinaceus has been used to treat cognitive impairments, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ischemic stroke, and presbycusis.
Fruiting bodies and mycelia of H. erinaceus contain a variety of structurally diverse bioactive compounds that can induce the expression of various neurotrophic factors and monoamines, and modulate inflammatory response (1).
Chemistry:
The principle chemical constituents consist of:
polysaccharides, hericenones and erinacines.
Parts Used
fruiting body, mycelium
Additional Resources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982118/
Important Precautions
Not for use during pregnancy or lactation. If you have a medical condition or take pharmaceutical drugs please consult your doctor prior to use.
Disclaimer
This information in our Herbal Reference Guide is intended only as a general reference for further exploration, and is not a replacement for professional health advice. This content does not provide dosage information, format recommendations, toxicity levels, or possible interactions with prescription drugs. Accordingly, this information should be used only under the direct supervision of a qualified health practitioner such as a naturopathic physician.
