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The effect of Lions Mane on cognitive function

In deciphering and mitigating the disease processes of the brain, scientific researchers have long strived to uncover effective remedies that can cross over the blood-brain barrier, thereby effectively targeting specific areas related to cognitive decline. As a result, two relatively recent studies have shed some light on the effect of Lions Mane mushrooms (Hericium Erinaceus) on cerebral chemistry. These studies range from bolstering the cognition of aged individuals with Alzheimer’s to reducing stress, improving mood, and increasing the speed of thought in healthy-minded, young adults.

In 2008, a joint study led by bio-medical research universities in Japan set out to discover the effects of Hericium Erinaceus on the glial cells of the brain. Specifically, researchers were interested in discovering whether compounds found in mushrooms could stimulate neurotrophic factors in the brain, thereby reducing or reversing the neurodegenerative disease process in individuals with Alzheimer’s. Remarkably, their work indicated that where prior pharmacological agents failed to reach target areas in the brain, H. Erinaceus was successful in crossing the blood-brain barrier while increasing Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). Nerve Growth Factor is an essential component of neurite outgrowth and glial cell communication and previous studies have shown that a reduction in NGF is a major contributor to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the study, “To investigate the effect of H. Erinaceus in vivo (living hosts), we measured NGF mRNAexpression in the cortex and hippocampus of mice administered H. erinaceus. The mice in the H. Erinaceus group were fed a diet containing 5% dried powder of H. Erinaceus, and the mice in the control group were fed a diet containing 5% dextrin instead of H. Erinaceus for 1 or 7 d. The level of NGF mRNA in the hippocampus of mice in the H. Erinaceusgroup was significantly increased compared with that of mice in the control group on the 7th day” (Mori et al., 2008). Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) is the bodies main form of gene expression in which proteins from DNA are produced and sent out to promote particular functions within individual cells and cell groups. In this case, the therapeutic levels of H. Erinaceus enhanced the ability of mRNA to directly innervate glial cells within the hippocampus. Additionally, in vitro studies were also conducted in which individual cells were incubated with an ethanol extract of 125 and 250 mg/ml. The result of these tests revealed extensive neurite outgrowth over a period of 24 hours. This study also revealed that Erinacines found in mycelium are direct contributors to increased NGF, however, it remains unclear which chemical components of the fruit body are responsible for NGF mRNA expression.

In a more recent study from the Department of Psychology, North Umbria University, 2023, scientist sought to discover the effects of H. Erinaceus on young adults which were not otherwise exhibiting cognitive impairment. Here, scientists set out to discover the “Chronic effects of four-week supplementation of lion’s mane in healthy, young adults, with the primary outcome being accuracy and reaction time on global cognitive performance” (Docherty et al., 2023). Participants were given regimental doses of 1.8g of H. Erinaceus daily for a 28-day period. Participants were also monitored through an extensive battery of tests on the first and last days of the trial, where attention, executive function, working memory and episodic memory were measured. One hour after the initial dose was taken, participants showed marked improvements in reaction speed relative to their assigned tasks. Furthermore, “A potential stress-reducing effect was also observed following the (28) days of supplementation, with a trend towards reduction in subjective stress in the H. erinaceus group, both in comparison to the placebo and Day 1 scores” (Docherty et al., 2023).

Therefore, when considering the neuro chemical functions relative to these findings, it is worth noting that brain derived neurotrophic factors regulate synaptic plasticity in addition to processes related to learning and memory consolidation. Furthermore, these same factors are bolstered by the ability of H. Erinaceus to cross over the blood-brain barrier, thus exciting neurite outgrowth. Thus, in addition to increased learning ability and processing speeds, the study reveals a marked reduction in stress levels which alludes to a pathway for the restoration of Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine in the brain. Given the small sample size of (43) eighteen-to-forty-three-year old’s, more tests on larger, more diverse segments are warranted, however, these intriguing results highlight exciting possibilities in the mental health arena.

In conclusion, mitigating the disease processes of the brain has given scientists motivation to brave new frontiers regarding neuro-scientific research. Their preliminary work on the mycological effects of mushrooms on the brain have yielded promising results. The ability of H. Erinaceus to promote Nerve Growth Factor is extraordinary considering the difficulty researchers have had developing effective neuro supportive medications. Though these studies have shown promising results,  scientists are merely scratching the surface in this field and more in depth research is still needed.

References

Docherty, S., Doughty, F. L., & Smith, E. F. (2023). The acute and chronic effects of lion's mane mushroom supplementation on cognitive function, stress and mood in young adults: A double-blind, parallel groups, pilot study. Nutrients, 15(22), 4842. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224842

Mori, K., Obara, Y., Hirota, M., Azumi, Y., Kinugasa, S., Inatomi, S., & Nakahata, N. (2008). Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of hericium erinaceus in 1321n1 human astrocytoma cells. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 31(9), 1727–1732. Retrieved March 14, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.31.1727

UMass Amherst Libraries. (2017, September 25). 8.  Response of Cells to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/t3PA-YbuJ5E?si=aQ-G_nBDi6cGYpIf