What is Lion’s mane?   

Lion’s mane (also called Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom growing in Europe, Asia and North America;
Its funny name comes from its remarkable shape, recalling the mane of a male lion.
Lion’s mane has for long been used as an adaptogen, especially in the East Asian Buddhist herbal tradition, a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress.
Beside “lion’s mane”, another name you might find this nootropic under is ‘ King of mushrooms’ , “Bear’s head” and lastly, in Japanese, “ Yamabushitake”.

What are the benefits of Lion’s mane?

Lion’s mane contains special neuropeptides that help you support the growth and maintenance of neurons and myelin in your brain, being therefore potentially beneficial to your memory.*

*These health claims are pending European approval.

References

1. Park, Y.S., Lee, H.S., Won, M.H. et al. Effect of an exo-polysaccharide from the culture broth of Hericium erinaceus on enhancement of growth and differentiation of rat adrenal nerve cells. Cytotechnology 39, 155 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023963509393
2. Lai PL, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V, Wong KH, David RP, Kuppusamy UR, Abdullah N, Malek SN. “Neurotrophic properties of the Lion’s mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomyc” Int J Med Mushrooms. 2013;15(6):539-54.
3. Chiu, C.-H.; Chyau, C.-C.; Chen, C.-C.; Lee, L.-Y.; Chen, W.-P.; Liu, J.-L.; Lin, W.-H.; Mong, M.-C. Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 341.
4. Mori, K. , Inatomi, S. , Ouchi, K. , Azumi, Y. and Tuchida, T. (2009), Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial. Phytother. Res., 23: 367-372. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634
5. Friedman M., Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Aug 19;63(32):7108-23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914. Epub 2015 Aug 5.
6. Yao W, Zhang JC, Dong C, Zhuang C, Hirota S, Inanaga K, Hashimoto K. “Effects of amycenone on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, and depression-like behavior in mice after lipopolysaccharide administration.” Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2015 Sep;136:7-12. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.06.012. Epub 2015 Jul 4.
7. Chiu CH Chyau CC, Chen CC, Lee LY, Chen WP, Liu JL, Lin WH, Mong MC. “Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice.” Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Jan 24;19(2). pii: E341. doi: 10.3390/ijms19020341.
8. Lakshmanan H, Raman J, David P, Wong KH, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V. “Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment.” J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Dec 24;194:1051-1059. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.084. Epub 2016 Nov 2.