BetterNutrition August 2021

HERBAL WELLNESS *
healing botanicals for your body and mind
The Lion’s Share of Benefits
Lion’s mane, with its long, shaggy spines that resemble—you
guessed it—a lion’s mane, has been shown to ease depression,
enhance focus and concentration, and more.
BY KARTA PURKH SINGH KHALSA, DN-C, RH
Despite its long history of use in
traditional Chinese medicine, lion’s
mane (Hericium erinaceus) is only
now getting the attention it deserves
in the West. Research shows that it
contains a plethora of health-enhancing
constituents, including antioxidants
and immune-boosting beta-glucan,
and proponents maintain that it can
address a slew of health problems.
Lion’s mane is known to help with
brain and mood issues, including
anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s disease,
and Parkinson’s disease. It also has a
reputation for easing high cholesterol,
inflammation, ulcers, and digestive
concerns. And if that’s not enough, it
also exhibits cancer-preventive effects.
While these may seem like a wide
range of disparate conditions, they’re
all linked by one thing—inflammation.
One study evaluating the potential of
14 different mushrooms held that this
leonine remedy had the fourth-highest
antioxidant activity, which may explain
its benefits for inflammatory conditions.
Better for Your Brain
Lion’s mane may help older adults with
mild cognitive impairment, according to
a study in which researchers assigned
30 cognitively impaired older adults
to consume either mushroom extract
or a placebo for 16 weeks. In cognitive
tests given throughout the study,
patients in the lion’s mane cohort showed
significantly greater improvements
compared to those taking a placebo.
Another study examined the effects
of lion’s mane on brain function,
concluding that the fungus helped
protect against memory problems
caused by brain plaques associated
with Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary
studies have shown that lion’s mane
Photo: Getty Images
22 • AUGUST 2021