Research Points to Lions Mane Mushroom to Improve Memory
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(Note: This is a sponsored post from Liberty Tree Health)
With many Americans concerned about memory loss, researchers are looking everywhere for solutions, and Lions Mane might just be one of them.
Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered an active compound from an edible mushroom called Lion’s Mane that has been shown to boost nerve growth and enhance memory (1).
Frederic Meunier, PhD, from the Queensland Brain Institute, said, “Extracts from these so-called ‘lion’s mane’ mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine in Asian countries for centuries, but we wanted to scientifically determine their potential effect on brain cells,” Meunier said. “Pre-clinical testing found the lion’s mane mushroom had a significant impact on the growth of brain cells and improving memory. Laboratory tests measured the neurotrophic effects of compounds isolated from Hericium erinaceus on cultured brain cells, and surprisingly we found that the active compounds promote neuron projections, extending and connecting to other neurons (1).
The Debrief also reported this on the University of Queensland study:
“Our idea was to identify bioactive compounds from natural sources that could reach the brain and regulate the growth of neurons, resulting in improved memory formation,” explained Dr. Martinez-Marmol, the co-author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Neurochemistry (2).
An additional study in 2020 has shown, “people with mild Alzheimer’s disease found that supplementation with 1 gram of lion’s mane mushroom daily for 49 weeks significantly improved cognitive test scores compared with placebo (3, 4).”
These findings not only offer hope for people suffering from a wide range of conditions affecting brain health but they also demonstrate how traditional herbal remedies can act as a model for modern research.
References
- Queensland, University of. “Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Shown to Promote Nerve Growth, Improve Memory.” Lab Manager, https://www.labmanager.com/news/lion-s-mane-mushrooms-shown-to-promote-nerve-growth-improve-memory-29800.
- Plain, Christopher. “Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Found to ‘Magically’ Regrow Brain Cells, New Research Shows.” The Debrief, 14 Feb. 2023, https://thedebrief.org/lions-mane-mushrooms-found-to-magically-regrow-brain-cells-new-research-shows/.
- Li IC, Chang HH, Lin CH, Chen WP, Lu TH, Lee LY, Chen YW, Chen YP, Chen CC, Lin DP. Prevention of Early Alzheimer’s Disease by Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Pilot Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. Front Aging Neurosci. 2020 Jun 3;12:155. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00155. PMID: 32581767; PMCID: PMC7283924.
- Julson, Erica. “9 Health Benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushroom (plus Side Effects).” Healthline, Healthline Media, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lions-mane-mushroom.
