“Lion’s mane is a mushroom that has been used for centuries in the east to enhance the nervous system. Recently it has been discovered that this is because lion’s mane increases the production of Nerve Growth Factor. NGF is responsible for determining the rate at which new brain cells are produced. A Nobel Prize was awarded for this discovery because no other substance is known to cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the production of NGF. Six months of supplementation with lion’s mane is proven to produce a significant improvement in nearly every measure of mental function in people with dementia. In a literal sense, you have more brains when you supplement with lion’s mane.”
longecity.org/forum/topic/37 … ating-ngf/
Folks are using Lions Mane as a study aid because it improves memory, it supports the immune system, is a powerful anti-oxidant, helps fight against Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, depression as well as support NGF.
superfoods-for-superhealth.c … -mane.html
For those of you who have followed the Alex Miller theory he proposes the idea that Propecia reduces allopregnanolone which can lead to demyelination (viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2577&p=84677#p84677
We are starting to learn from other sources that Propecia dramatically reduces allopregnanolone in the body and has become a widely discussed topic on internet forums.
and
labs.ninds.nih.gov/rogawski/pdfs … ol2003.pdf
and
hairloss-research.org/Update … l9-09.html lists a number of studies relating to allopregnanolone.
From the links, we understand that allopregnanolone is required for the myelination process and a healthy central nervous system. Progesterone is being used by members on this board to stimulate allopregnanolone, however Lions Mane has been clinically shown to support myelination.
livestrong.com/article/50938 … ve-damage/
and
The influence of Hericium erinaceus extract on myelination process in vitro.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12675022
You will also find a post below from another board which openly supports Lions mane for NGF.
longecity.org/forum/topic/41 … our-brain/
Lion’s mane (hericium erinaceus) is one of the edible mushrooms widely distributed in Japan and China. I’ve been seeing it for sale in grocery stores, so I decided to see if had any remarkable benefit.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) belongs to a family of proteins that play a part in maintenance, survival and regeneration of neurons during adult life. As we age, NGF declines, resulting in less efficient brain functioning. In mice, its absence leads to a condition resembling Alzheimer’s disease. In 1986, two scientists won a Nobel Prize in Physiology / Medicine for the discovery and isolation of NGF. Since its discovery, researchers have been interested in ways of enhancing the uptake of NGF. Because NGF is unable to cross the blood brain barrier, it cannot be administered as an oral drug. Accordingly, scientists directed their attention to finding bio-active chemicals with a low molecular weight that could penetrate the BBB and could be taken orally to induce synthesis of NGF in the brain.
Enter lion’s mane. A class of compounds called hericenones in lion’s mane has been discovered to stimulate production of NGF, causing neurons to regrow:
Study: The Inducer of the Synthesis of Nerve Growth Factor From Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
explorepub.com/articles/kawagishi_11_4.html
Other compounds in lion’s mane are also believed to be bio-active. A fat-soluable fraction isolated from lion’s mane, called Amyloban, was found to protect against endoplasmic reticulum stress and/or oxidative stress dependent neuronal cell death caused by toxic beta amyloid peptide:
Patent Application: Anti-dementia substance from hericium erinaceum and method of extraction
faqs.org/patents/app/2009027 … z0rXhksYYy
Beta amyloid peptide is the main component of plaque that develops in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients, causing destruction of neurons as it progresses. So far, Amyloban has been found to contain bio-active dilinoleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DLPE) benzoate compounds:
Study: Dilinoleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine from Hericium erinaceum protects against ER stress-dependent Neuro2a cell death via protein kinase C pathway.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16426828
Study: An endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-suppressive compound and its analogues from the mushroom Hericium erinaceum.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18835171
Study: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-suppressive compounds from scrap cultivation beds of the mushroom Hericium erinaceum.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661683
The question remains, has it been tested in humans or animals? It turns out it has been tested. A study at a Chinese pharmaceutical university compared a lion’s mane extract standardized to contain hericenones and Ambyloban with a common Alzheimer’s drug. One hundred rats were injected with with beta amyloid peptide to create an Alzheimer’s type dementia. The rats were then divided into groups to receive either lion’s mane extract or the drug once a day for four weeks. At four weeks, an assessment of learning and memory related behavior was made for seven days.
Results showed that rats given the the extract performed a water maze test equally to or better than those given the Alzheimer’s drug, depending on dosage. Sacrificing the rats after the examination, it was found the rats who received the lion’s mane extract produced significantly more NGF.
Study (in Chinese): Anti-dementia effects of a low polarity fraction extracted from Hericium erinaceum
blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4635e8be0100gtyt.html
A clinical study using lion’s mane was conducted to investigate its effectiveness against dementia in a rehabilitation hospital in Japan.
Study: Compounds for dementia from Hericium erinaceum
journals.prous.com/journals/serv … 0&p_IsPs=N
Results showed that after six months of taking lion’s mane, six out of seven patients experienced improvements in their overall functional independence measure. In particular, three bedridden patients were able to get up to eat meal after administered.
Study: Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: A double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18844328
It was observed that the lion’s mane group’s score increased with the duration of the intake, and four weeks after terminating the supplement, their scores decreased significantly. Laboratory tests showed no adverse effects of lion’s mane.
These studies are very encouraging!
How To Buy Your Lion’s Mane
What I’ve learn’t from Longecity is there are two options, you can buy in bulk and create your own Lion’s Mane supplement (which will cost less) or buy a product that comes with all the ingredients that you need. Remember, not all Lions Mane products are equal and will depend on either the extraction process or whether the product contains fruiting bodies and the mycelium (both is best).
Option One
A combination of fruit bodies and mycelium used for the best Lion’s Mane.
Healthy Village and Mushroom Man have bulk fruit bodies, and Myco Essentials and MRL have bulk mycelium.
healthyvillage.com/product_details/1330.html
mushroomman.com/herbal_powder.htm
and
mycoessentials.com/products/ … oducts.htm
mrlusa.com/allproducts.html
Option Two
Fungi Perfecti’s liquid product contains a good extract of both fruit bodies and mycelium, so it’s more convenient. Swanson’s capsule product is unextracted fruit bodies, and a fairly decent price. Fungi Perfecti’s Host Defense contains unextracted mycelium, and the Eclectic Institute product is a good mycelium-only extraction.
If you like spending money, the Amyloban 3399 product is $90 a bottle, and is standardized by a company with an eminent doctor of mycology on staff. Aside from the standardized amount of hericenone, it has no benefit over eating 1.5g of fruit body powder, and costs about 25x as much.
Product Links
cordycepsreishiextracts.com … ucts_id=82
amazon.co.uk/Swanson-Spectru … ions+maine
iherb.com/Host-Defense-Lion- … 21455?at=0
iherb.com/Mycetobotanicals-L … /2920?at=0
mushroomwisdom.com/products_ … a748e43a26
NGF interacts with receptors, so it may be subject to tolerance in much the same way as other drugs. For a timescale of using LM look to the studies mentioned above. There are also lots of experiences shared by LM users on longecity.org/forum/forum/169-brain-health/ just do a search for Lions Mane.
From what I’ve learn’t, LM users have different experiences for some it works within days, others weeks or a month or two. Also, not everyone gets the best from the standard 1gram dose, some use 2 or 3 grams per day or every other day. Daily dosing - I heard that LM doses are best split 3 times per day, first on an empty stomach, then after a mid-day meal then 1-2 hours before bedtime.
The best products have already been researched by those from Longecity so we have the right options to start with. Another point is the different types of LM and whether folks respond better to LM containing fruit bodies or mycelium or both. To read posts on LM at Longecity see link
google.com/cse?cx=partner-pu … gsc.page=1
For those already using progesterone then I’d be tempted to start with a 1 gram dose of LM, it’s going to be interesting to see how well the two work together in supporting myelination and improving cognitive health. Fungi Perfecti’s liquid seems ideal to begin with as it has both the fruits and the mycelium.
Taking Lion’s Mane is not just about re-leaving brain fog but also about supporting the process of myelination, in other words the health of the mylene sheath which is essential for proper functioning of the central nervous system and something that maybe be impaired from using Propecia.
There is no research on the interaction of Lion’s Mane with prescription medications, so check with your doctor before combining it with medications to make sure it’s safe for you.