Let Me Introduce You To A Rare & Healthy Mushroom
I first became aware of Lions Mane by researching information about Tim Ferris. Tim Ferris is an amazing groundbreaking individual who looks to hack or improve the human experience.
It is in doing a review of him, that he mentioned Lions Mane Mushroom supplement. This supplement is used for enhancing mental functions. It was the combination of the mushroom and improving cognition that struck my curiosity. So, that is how I come to do a Lions Mane Mushroom Review.
Learning Something New
Before this, I have never heard of this, even though I thought I was up-to-date and had a good knowledge of alternative supplements. The sobering fact is, I know very little in fact and one must constantly be hard press to keep exploring and learning to keep up with the ever-expanding world of supplements. I constantly need to check my ego and reevaluate what I know, as new information is constantly being discovered and researched.
To see what Tim uses currently for Smart Drugs head on over to my page to review what he ingests to optimize his body, Tim Ferris Smart Drugs. Oh, and by the way, Lion’s Mane is definitely one of the nootropics he takes.
What Is Lion’s Mane?
Lion’s Mane goes by many names, its Latin name is Hericium Erinaceus, but it also goes by:
- sheep’s head
- bear’s head
- bearded tooth mushroom
- bearded hedgehog mushroom
- pom pom mushroom
- satyr’s beard
- yamabushitake (mountain priest mushroom my personal favorite name)
- monkey head mushroom
- Deertail Mushroom
- bearded tooth fungus.
Some of these names help to describe a general impression of this fungi.
Lion’s Mane is both a medicinal mushroom and an edible mushroom. It has quite a unique look to it, as the names above allude to. This is from the characteristic of its long spines that set it apart from your normal button mushroom appearance, these spines also look like hair. These spines kind of look like teeth, it is from these spines that Lion’s Mane releases its spores. From the pictures I’ve seen it reminds me of a brain, as the doctrine of signatures suggest when a plant or in this case a fungi looks like a body part, it is meant to heal and help that body part. Thus nature gives clues, and I just love the idea of this.
The beauty of this mushroom is that it has its own look. As some mushrooms have the look-a-likes that could potentially be poisonous, not the case with lion’s mane. No copycats here as all forms of this mushroom are edible and taste fantastic. One of the most palatable of the mushrooms and is easy to enjoy consuming.
Lion’s mane can be found usually during the summer and fall. It can be found on dead trees, mostly on hardwoods. Trees like maple, beech, oak, walnut, sycamore, and even birch. Its particular flavor is described as a seafood taste and more specific as tasting like lobster. A fantastic tasting mushroom.
Where Does Lion’s Mane Grow?
It natively grows across the world in the continents of North America, Asia, and Europe. Some companies sell a kit to raise and grow your own and also you can buy books detailing how to grow your own. I will post a book below if you are interested in growing your own mushrooms.
Health Benefits of Lion Mane Mushroom
A truly rare mushroom. A mushroom is one of the few that improve cognitive function, as it is considered by many to be a very good nootropic. As it has been shown to enhance memory and brain function. Along with the possible benefit of the increase in focus and attention. Many seniors citizens have reported improvement with memory problems from taking lion’s mane. So, if your experiencing any sort of short-term memory loss or brain fog supplementing your daily routine with this mushroom might be just what you need.
This is also a natural nootropic, that is not produced in any sort of lab. This is derived from a mushroom. Another important note here is Lion’s Mane is safe to take on a daily basis.
Some of the main health benefits of lion’s mane mushroom.
- Cognitive function.
- Promotes NGF (nerve growth factor)
- Support the nervous system.
- Increase memory.
- Immune system benefits.
- Digestive function improvement.
- Potential benefits for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Help with aging-related memory problems, as well as “brain fog”.
Lion Mane Side Effects
There are cases of people being severely allergic to the lion’s mane and so healthy precautions should be taken at first.
Warning: One should consult their physician before using this product if you are pregnant, lactating, or have a medical condition, or are currently taking any medication. One should always take precautions before consuming a new supplement.
Beyond the normal precautions, lion’s mane is safe to consume on a daily basis. Some cognitive supplement would need to be rotated, not the case here. Lion’s mane can be used safely, daily.
My Experience Using Lion’s Mane
For me taking lion’s mane is purely for the cognition aspect of this supplement. As I was not looking for any other benefit from taking this. I started taking Four Sigmatic products to see the effects, as I believe in their quality of products. I started taking the Mushroom Coffee Mix (lion’s mane and Chaga mushroom) & Lions Mane Mushroom Elixir Mix. I bought 2 boxes of each to test myself, as I heard it takes a while for the effects to truly kick in. My experience with Alpha Brain was the same but shorter, I noticed it took about a week to notice improved memory and cognition. You can read about my experience with Alpha Brain here, What is Alpha Brain For?
So, I committed myself to 8 full weeks of taking one packet a day, granted the Mushroom Coffee Mix has less lion’s mane than the Elixir does. This would give me a grand total of 60 packets for 2 months or 8 weeks. During the initial weeks of taking it, I did notice a slight improvement in my overall processing speed and abilities. The effects I noticed gradually increased with the continued usage of the lion’s mane. At the end of my eight-week trial, I was definitely sold on lion’s mane for increasing focus and improvement in daily thinking.
Positive Results
As I write quite often for this website and another, my writing improved as well as my focus. My focus has been wavering as of late, maybe due to a slight burn out stage. I will easily start watching videos or consumed by reading emails instead of concentrating on writing. This mushroom I felt brought my attention back to writing to completion and little to no wavering. I thoroughly and wholeheartedly am adding this to my daily routine. I also love and am comforted that it has no long-term adverse effect. I currently stack this with other nootropics to increase my cognitive results.
A note on the taste of both products that feature Lion’s Mane. The Mushroom Coffee Mix, I really enjoyed the taste. Lions Mane Mushroom Elixir Mix I didn’t enjoy as much but I limited the amount of water or liquid to a lesser amount, as the first time I had it I had a big coffee cup and I got tired of the taste by the end of the cup. But by using a smaller cup, I enjoyed it a lot more with no tiredness of the taste. Just a little tip if you find the taste to be less than good.
Where To Purchase Lion’s Mane
Just as with anything, there is more than one place to purchase Lion’s Mane Mushroom. But before you go off and purchase I would like for you to consider the source and not just the price. As you usually get what you pay for just about anything and the same applies to Lion’s Mane Mushroom. Some companies add fillers to their mushrooms and thus have lower quality and maybe a cheaper price. Something to watch out for is the adding of mycelium (which is the root system of the fungi and is a lot cheaper) this is not the most desirable part. The fruiting bodies are the more preferred part of the mushroom, as it usually contains the most nutrients. These things need to be considered. I have found some really good companies and some not so good ones through my own trial and error methods.
I found one company that stands out is the Four Sigmatic company that has a multitude of different mushrooms to choose from and a quality that one can be relied upon. They also continuously test for purity to maintain a high level of quality. I feel completely safe choosing any product Four Sigmatic sells. They also do a dual extraction technique for all their product, this ensures all the healthy components are all extracted from the material, for the most benefits.
I also love the little packets they come in, easy to carry around with you, or travel with. It is also very easy to just dump a packet into some hot water or whatever your flavor, to have a delicious drink that serves as a nootropic.
Some other noteworthy companies and products include:
I also recommend if you are interested in growing your own mushrooms in your backyard to take a look at this book. This will get you started.
The Essential Guide to Cultivating Mushrooms: Simple and Advanced Techniques for Growing Shiitake, Oyster, Lion’s Mane, and Maitake Mushrooms at Home
Buy Four Sigmatic
If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.
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