Lion’s Mane
Hericium Erinaceus
The Lion’s Mane mushroom is truly special! It is a delectable gourmet mushroom, but also highly valued for its health and medicinal benefits. This mushroom is primarily found on the eastern coastal plains of the United States. Typically found fruiting out of wounds and crevices on hardwood trees and snags. Lion’s Mane fruitbody attaches laterally and in its early stages looks like a cluster of white velvety balls. As it reaches maturity it differentiates into elongating and cascading teeth that are soft and white when fresh. This mushroom is highly sought after by foragers and I am always amazed at how big these get in the wild!
Lion’s Mane has a similar taste and texture as crab or lobster and makes a great meat substitute. Lion’s mane “crab” cakes is by far our most popular recipe.
In addition to Lion’s Mane's delicious flavor and its versatile use in the kitchen, these mushrooms also hold great medicinal benefits. These are one of the most protein-rich cultivated mushrooms and are adaptogenic. This means that not only do you get more protein when consuming Lion’s Mane, but it also helps your body adapt to stress and maintain homeostasis.
The main compounds in Lion’s Mane, Hericenones and Erinacines, are known to stimulate nerve growth. Lion’s mane is best known for its cognitive benefits and is often taken to help with focus. It is currently being researched as a potential preventative treatment for cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and dementia. There are also studies that indicate lion’s mane may have the potential to assist in nerve recovery and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
References
Chong, P. S., Fung, M. L., Wong, K. H., & Lim, L. W. (2019). Therapeutic potential of Hericium Erinaceus for depressive disorder. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(1), 163. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/1/163
Friedman, M. (2015). Chemistry, nutrition, and health-promoting properties of Hericium Erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) mushroom fruiting bodies and mycelia and their bioactive compounds. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(32), 7108-7123.
Li, I. C., Lee, L. Y., Tzeng, T. T., Chen, W. P., Chen, Y. P., Shiao, Y. J., & Chen, C. C. (2018). Neurohealth properties of Hericium Erinaceus mycelia enriched with Erinacines. Behavioural Neurology, 2018, 5802634. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5802634https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5987239/
Nagano, M., Shimizu, K., Kondo, R., Hayashi, C., Sato, D., Kitagawa, K., & Ohnuki, K. (2010). Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical Research, 31(4), 231-237. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/biomedres/31/4/31_4_231/_article
Spelman, K., Sutherland, E., & Bagade, A. (2017). Neurological activity of Lion’s mane (Hericium Erinaceus). Journal of Restorative Medicine, 6(1), 19-26. https://restorativemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lions-mane.pdf
