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Contents
Overview
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a medicinal mushroom with nootropic qualities. Currently, the research on Lion’s Mane is still in it’s early stages, though it shows a lot of promise and more research is urgently needed.
I am including Lion’s Mane on this list primarily due its ability to significantly increase the expression of NGF (nerve growth factor (NGF) [100]. NGF is a moleculed produced in the brain that is involved in the regulation of growth, maintenance, proliferation, and survival of neurons.
When looking at neurons specifically, Lion’s Mane also enhances the formation of myelin and the production of the myelin sheath (myelination) [101][104]. It also promotes neurite outgrowth [102][103] and peripheral nerve regeneration after injury [109].
Lion’s Mane also provides neuroprotection against neuronal death [105][106], prevents against cognitive decline caused by β-amyloid pigmentation [107], and has shown significant improvements in cognition in those suffering from dementia [108].
Lion’s Mane also inhibits metastasis of cancer cells to the lung from the colon [110], and is very gastroprotective, especially against ulcers [111].
Where to Buy Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Capsules | 500mg
Lion’s Mane Dosage Information
Lion’s Mane does not have a standard dosage, however one human trial show efficacy with 1000mg doses taken 3x daily, and total daily doses of 3000mg or more may be optimal. It does not need to be taken with meals.
References
100. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18758067
101. http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,0d49dda96a2a7147,504922782f5fa5ea.html
102. https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6882-13-261
103. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/fo/c4fo00452c/unauth#!divAbstract
104. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12675022
105. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661683
106. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18835171
107. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21383512
108. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18844328
109. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21941586