The Lions Mane mushroom could be one of the best supplements for mental wellbeing.

So you need to write an article or an essay and your pleading with your brain to come up with ideas or just to start typing something coherent, but you cant. You know you're capable of writing something good quality, but the words just don't seem to materialise. Medicinal mushrooms like Lions Mane may be the answer.

Many of you might think it odd to see mushrooms being sold purporting to have health benefits as the mushrooms you know are either cooked at breakfast or taken by those looking to experience a psilocybin 'trip' however, recently its become more common knowledge that there are different mushroom species which can bring a wealth of beneficial impacts to both your mental and physical wellbeing.

Lion's mane is one such example. The name comes from the fact that the mushroom has an appearance similar to that of the mane of a lion. This mushroom is a very safe medicinal tool that has been used for decades, as it can even be eaten in its mushroom form, however in the western world is often consumed as a capsule, tea, or coffee. Its effects on the brain have lead many to seek out its use to aid in boosting creativity as well as a long list of other reasons.

Lion's mane for memory and cognition

Lions Mane stimulates the release of nerve growth factor (NGF), which helps you create new and maintain your existing brain neurons responsible for processing and transmitting information, and it also aids memory and learning.

Studies on mice, which have translated to human studies, show that lion's mane can help regenerate myelin, which is the substance that surrounds our brain's neurons. This is important as having healthy myelin means your brain neurons can fire efficiently and transmit messages clearly across the brain and improve memory. For individuals with Alzheimer's, this could be a potential adjunct therapy to other medical treatments as the plaques that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's destroy the nerve cells, which cause memory loss, foggy thinking, etc. so Lion's mane may offer some help there.

Lions Mane for creativity

Those looking to boost creative ability often use Lion's mane as a tool for help. Its ability to promote neurogenesis (production of new nerve cells), which is what we believe helps to increase creativity, is significant. Lion's mane is also shown to lower both anxiety and depression, and having a better mood is synonymous to being more creative. Conversely, those that suffer from low mood often say they find it challenging to be creative, which is part of the reason it can be so challenging to treat and beat severe cases of depression.

Lion's mane for anxiety and depression

Lion's mane is another example of an adaptogen, meaning it helps us maintain a balanced internal environment (homeostasis). There is also some evidence showing that lion's mane can reduce anxiety and depression, which may be due to, is the ability to increase neurogenesis, which many scientists believe is a crucial path to treating mental health disorders.

Lion's mane is also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds and helps you modulate your immune system more effectively.

Lions Mane for immunity

Lion's mane is also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds and helps you modulate your immune system more effectively. Your immunity is also affected by your mental health too. Low mood is often synonymous with periods of ill health, which is why depressed people often find themselves getting colds more frequently than others.

 How Should You Take Lions Mane?

First, you'll need to find a supplier that provides high-quality Lion's Mane supplements. This can be difficult if you don't know what to look for. Unfortunately, there are a lot of low-quality lions mane products out there that are being sold at very affordable prices and leaving many customers disappointed with the poor results.

The best lions mane products will use lions mane mushrooms that are grown on a log rather than oats. Log-grown Lion's mane has a much higher content of Beta-glucans than that of oat grown lions mane. Yet, many suppliers choose to use oat grown as it is easier to achieve a larger volume of production, but it makes the effectiveness of their product extremely minimal.

When examining products, look at the label to see if it is log-grown or oat is grown or ask at the store or over the phone.

What dosage do I need?

We recommend using a mushroom supplement that contains 500 mg of reishi mushroom per serving, and should be taken twice daily. Most mushroom coffees will contain about 250 mg; however, it's important to note that for mushroom supplements to be effective, they should be taken daily as the effects compound over time, and also, once you stop, some of the benefits will fade away.

Take a break after 4-6 months as allergic reactions can potentially develop.