Lion's Mane - What is it & What Are Its' Benefits?
May 10, 2021
Have you stumbled upon this word while looking up ingredients in a supplement or while reading a health article and wondered, "What is that"? Well read on and learn more about this food item as well as the many potential benefits that come from eating it.
What Is It？
Lion's mane, or Hericium erinaceus in Latin, is a mushroom that looks like the scruff of a lion and is a very common food used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is also known as the Hedgehog Mushroom or Houtou. This mushroom has many long, dangling spines and can grow on both live and dead broad leaf trees. This interesting looking mushroom belongs to the tooth fungus group.
What Are the Benefits?
This mushroom has been consumed for it's many potential benefits to the body. Here are five:
1. Supports Brain & Nervous System
According to several researches, Lion's mane seems to affect the brain by enhancing neurite outgrowth in the brain. This in turn, could potentially slow or reverse cell degeneration in the brain and help prevent related brain diseases. Some studies have also shown that consuming this mushroom could help regenerate damaged cells related to peripheral nerve injury. Taking supplements containing Lion's Mane have been found to potentially prevent the spread of certain neurodegenerative disorders according to some other studies.
2. Supports Heart Health
Lion's mane may also help prevent heart disease. In a vitro and animal study, researchers have found that using extract of this mushroom may help prevent the increase of bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, and lower triglycerides in the bloodstream. In another study, the extract of lion's mane mushroom seemed to have the ability to prevent blood clots and help reduce the risk of stroke.
3. Potentially Boost Digestive Health
Because of this mushroom's powerful anti-inflammatory properties, this food may help improve your gut health and function. In a few studies, lion's mane, has been shown to protect the gut from gastric ulcers or help shrink them.
4. Reduces Inflammation
In another study, lion's mane mushroom was able to reduce inflammation in fatty tissue, which may help lower your risk of heart related disease.
5. Powerful Antioxidant
Lion's mane mushroom contains molecules that have antioxidant abilities which can help prevent and relieve oxidative stress due to poor nutrition. Antioxidants may also be helpful in speeding up the healing process of wounds according to another study of lion's mane.
Interested in incorporating lion's mane mushroom into your diet? You can check out FarmHaven's Women's Multivitamin which incorporates lion's mane extract into their capsules!
