How Lion’s Mane Really Works
The growing bodies of the lion’s hair plant, which are what we call mushrooms, and the mycelium, what is lion’s mane good for which looks like roots, contain a lot of useful plant materials.
“Lion’s hair contains a number of substances that may be good for the body, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and nerve growth factors,” says Lindsay Delk, RDN, who works in Houston and specializes in the link between food and mental health.
There are carbs, erinacines, hericerins, alkaloids, lactones, and steroids in lion’s mane that give it energy.
In particular, cougar’s mane has been linked to making a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF) work. Richard says, “Neurite growth factor is important for brain health and for how well neurons communicate with each other.” Neuron transmission is how nerves are able to send impulses through the peripheral nervous system.
Cougar hair is also used to help with the health of the brain and the immune system. “The carbohydrates may be the important parts for heart and immune health, but all of the bioactive substances work together to make the benefits possible,” Richard says.
Where To Look For Lion’s Head Mushrooms
There are two main types of cougar’s mane, which are foods and vitamins.
According to Forest Wildlife, cougar’s mane mushrooms grow as food on dead and dying plants in North America, Europe, and Asia, usually in late summer and fall.
You can also easily find lion’s mane in pill, drink, grain, or tablet supplement form.
Fresh cougar’s hair and lion’s hair products can be found online, in health food stores, and in grocery stores.
Benefits Of Lion’s Mane That Are Plausible
This fungus could add many possible health benefits to your food. Here are a few of the most important ones.
May help the brain work better
One of the most well-known benefits of lion’s hair is what it does to the brain. Researchers have found that lion’s hair mushrooms contain both hericenones and erinacines. These are two chemicals that could help human brain cells grow in the lab.
Because it is good for the brain, cougar’s hair could be a good treatment for dementia. In a study released in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in June 2020, people with moderate Alzheimer’s who took 3 350 milligram (mg) pills of cougar’s hair every day for 49 weeks saw big improvements in their brain health. On the other hand, many signs of intelligence went down in people who took a drug that didn’t do anything.
Could help reduce both depression and anxiety
Delk says that cougar’s mane can help reduce swelling, which may help ease clinical sadness. In a review published in December 2019 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the authors looked at lab research and early studies on the effects of cougar’s mane on the brain and mood of a few people. They concluded that it showed promise as a treatment for clinical depression and called for more research.
Delk says that the hair of cougars might also help with nervousness. She talks about a past study (mentioned in the above review) in which women with a wide range of health problems and illnesses were given four biscuits with 0.5 grams (g) of powdered cougar’s hair every day for four weeks. Compared to the women who got placebo cookies, the cougar’s hair team said that the end of the study made them much less irritable and stressed out.
Since only 30 women took part in the study, it’s not clear how these results apply to larger groups or how lion’s locks compares to other treatments for stress. More research is needed with larger sample sizes.
May be good for the digestive system
Research on test tube samples and computer mice suggests that lion’s hair could stop the spread of H. pylori, a microorganism that can harm the walls of the stomach. For experts to fully understand how lion’s locks mushrooms affect our digestive system, they need to study them in people.
In a study published in 2019 in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, mice with H. pylori who were given lion’s locks remove had lower amounts of the microorganisms in their stomachs than mice who weren’t given cougar’s mane.
In the meantime, a study published in May 2016 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology said that test pipe samples of cougar’s mane stopped H. pylori from growing.
How Safe Lion’s Mane Is And What It Does
Overall, new cougar’s locks brings a few dangers. On the other hand, cougar’s mane supplements are usually well-tolerated and considered safe when around 750 milligrams (mg) are taken by mouth every day for about 16 weeks. (Some research has shown safety at higher doses.) “Yet, because research is limited, universal application recommendations have not been established,” says Richard. “The potency of mushroom differs depending on how it is prepared and where it comes from.”
“Each supplement will have instructions on how much to take, and the range of cougar’s hair content could be large, from 300 milligrams and up,” she says. 300 milligrams is actually the same as 0.3 grams.
Still, There Are Some Risks With Lion’s Hair Supplements.
Some of the people in the 2020 in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Alzheimer’s research study said that taking 350 mg pills three times a day gave them stomach pain, made them feel sick, and caused their skin to break out. Every gram of the pills had 5 mg of lion’s mane in it.
Lion’s mane may also slow down how quickly blood clots and how much sugar is in the blood. Richard says that this is why it might interact with drugs that stop blood from clotting and treatments for people with diabetes.
Even though it’s rare, there’s a chance that fresh lion’s hair could make you sick in the ways we’ve already talked about. Make sure to ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to take lion’s mane supplements or eat real cougar’s mane.
Who Might Try To Stay Away From Lion’s Mane?
Whether you take it in its natural form or as a supplement, lion’s locks may be good for your mind, immune system, digestive system, and soul.
Delk says that people who are pregnant or nursing should not use cougar’s hair because there isn’t enough information about its safety yet.
On top of that, lion’s hair may make it take longer for blood to heal. This could make you bleed more or even cause you to bleed more, especially if you have trouble with your blood clotting. “People who are about to have surgery or who have a problem with bleeding should stay away from cougar’s locks,” says Richard.
Some research suggests that cougar’s hair may help protect against oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries, which is part of the process that makes cholesterol harden and become plaque in the arteries. However, Michelle Routhenstein, RDN, CDCES, a preventive cardiology dietitian and also licensed diabetes treatment and also education and learning expert at Entirely Nourished in New York City, does not suggest using cougar’s hair if you have cardiologist.
“Many people with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease may be taking multiple medications, such as anti-diabetic or anti-clotting medicines, which can hurt cougar’s locks,” she says.
Routhenstein says, “We can easily stop the oxidation of cholesterol by using other safe and effective science-based nutrition methods.”
Do not eat lion’s mane if you are allergic to mushrooms or have trouble with them.
In a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in June 2020, people with mild Alzheimer’s who took three 350 milligram (mg) pills of lion’s locks every day for 49 weeks saw big improvements in their brain health. Delk remembers that lion’s mane might also help with worry and stress. She points to an earlier study (mentioned in the above summary) in which 0.5 g of powdered lion’s mane was put into four cookies and given to girls with a variety of health conditions and diseases every day for four weeks. Compared to the women who got fake cookies, the women in the cougar’s locks group said they were much less angry and stressed at the end of the study.
“Anyone getting ready for surgery or who has a condition that causes bleeding should stay away from lion’s hair,” says Richard.