Lion's Mane Mushroom

Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), named for its shaggy appearance, is also known as Yambushitake in Japan and Shishigashira in China. It’s both a culinary and medicinal mushroom that is native to North America, Europe and East Asia, but to date, is consumed widely only in Asian countries for its nutritional and health benefits. In fact, it has been used for its medicinal properties for millennia in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This mushroom with an impressive list of demonstrated benefits grows wild on deciduous trees and is also extensively cultivated on sawdust substrates.

The exceptional nutritional and health-promoting aspects of Lion’s mane, derived from its fruiting body and mycelia, are largely attributed to a number of polysaccharides, including beta-glucans, and secondary metabolites such as erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, steroids and terpenes. As a result of its demonstrated medicinal potential, Lion’s mane has been the subject of extensive studies to investigate a number of its reported health-promoting properties, including antibiotic, anti-cancer, cardioprotective, liver-protective and neuroprotective actions, as well as its ability to support depression, anxiety and cognitive function. It is suggested that the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunostimulating properties that have been demonstrated in cells, animals and humans are likely responsible for Lion’s mane’s health-promoting properties.