What if we told you there were mushrooms withamazing all-natural, health benefits?
Meet your new favorite mushroom: Lion’s mane mushroom. Interesting name right?Lion’s mane mushrooms are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that look like a lion’s mane. This mushroom has been associated with a number of health benefits including helping improve brain function, helping address anxiety and depression, and aiding with stomach ulcers.
What is Lion's Mane Mushroom?
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Lion’s mane (orHericium erinaceus in Latin) grows on living trees. It has been popular for culinary and medical purposes in Asia for years. Fun fact: lion's mane mushroom is said to have a delicate taste and texture similar to that of seafood and readily takes on the taste of sauces.
What’s interesting, aside from being a great addition to your latest culinary creation,lion’s mane is considered a functional mushroom.Functional mushroomsare the type of mushroom that have medicinal properties and superfood benefits. These mushrooms are known to be full of antioxidants and nutritional value.
Lion’s mane mushroom is also an adaptogen, whichare all-natural super herbs and mushrooms that help us adapt and combat everyday stressors. Need a refresher course on adaptogens? Our comprehensive overview can be found here.
Research has shown that these mushrooms may offer a range of health benefits. Keep reading friends!
3 Health Benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Supporting Brain Health
Ok, you may be thinking that sounds great but what does brain health really mean? Simply lion's mane mushrooms may help repair or slow the decline of brain nerve cells (or the neurons). This is important because neurons in the brain connect with each other to direct our body to work, kind of like a mission control center. When these connections break down, it can cause diseases likeAlzheimer’s disease.
According to scientific studies, lion’s mane’s association withneuronal health is well-documented for its regenerative capabilities. For example, according to a Japanese study on 50-80 year old adults who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, those who took lion's mane mushroom saw improvement in their cognitive ability compared to the group that did not.
As mentioned, lion's mane has been popular in Asia for years and Buddhist monks were have said to take powdered lion's mane as a means to increase brain power and focus during mediation.
Aiding with Treating Depression and Anxiety
Depression is when a sad mood lasts for a very long time and affects or interferes with your normal, everyday activities.The American Psychological Association(APA), characterized anxiety as feelings of tension and worry that can also manifest physical changes like increased blood pressure.
Research showed that lion's mane may help alleviate anxiety and depression. Over the course of a month, 30 menopausal women consumed food with lion’s mane versus a control group who only took a placebo, researchers noticed that those who took food containing lion’s mane were less anxious, less irritable, and had less difficulty in concentration compared to the group that only took the placebo.
Protecting Against Stomach Ulcers
You know that digestive health is one of our favorite topics, ulcers not as much. You may be asking what is a stomach ulcer? They are open sores that develop in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Yep, you asked.
Peptic ulcers include sores located in the lining of the stomach (or gastric ulcers) and duodenal ulcers are sores located at the beginning of the small intestine. (Yes, we know we just threw a lot of ulcer names at you).
Harvard Health reports that more than four million Americans become affected with peptic ulcers each year and 1 in 10 individuals will develop a peptic ulcer at some time during their life. Although it can appear at any age, duodenal ulcers usually appear between the ages of 30 and 50 and are more common in men than in women. Women are more likely than men to get gastric ulcers later in life after age 60. (File this under things they don’t tell you about getting older.)
Ok, so what can you do to avoid getting these ulcers? Yep, you guessed it: lion's mane mushroom is one way to protect against stomach ulcers. Lion’s mane protects the stomach lining from damage by inhibiting the growth of bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.
Also, we have to mention that our friend fiber can help protect our stomach lining in general by supporting digestive health. Fiber is great for treating ulcers as it can lower stomach acid levels and reduce bloating. Studies also suggest that a fiber-rich diet may help prevent ulcers.
So you may be asking yourself, how can I add more Lion’s Mane to my diet (and of course fiber)?
Lion’s Mane + Fiber = Bonny
Look no further than your fiber friend Bonny. Yes, that’s right!
Bonny now contains adaptogens in its custom fiber powder blend of psyllium husk and inulin.
If you want to add more Lion’s Mane in your life, reach for a tin of our latest flavor Matcha Magic. This lovely blend of matcha with a subtle hint of pear will hit the spot both in terms of taste and function
Other adaptogenic flavors include: Amplified Apple Pie with a Maca Root metabolism boost; Berry Beauty’s which has Rhodiola to help you skin shine bright like a diamond; and Strawberry Serenity which contains Ashwagandha to help relieve stress.
Remember just like taking fiber, it's important to take adaptogens consistently, ideally daily. Over time they can strengthen the body’s ability to resist stress (think of it as going to the gym and building muscle through consistency).
It’s always a great time to start taking charge of your health. When starting a new health regimen, don’t forget to check in with your doctor for your diet and lifestyle changes.
As always, we wish you pleasant poops and relaxing days.
