The Lion's Mane mushroom has been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia for centuries.
Researchers wanted to scientifically ascertain the potential effect on brain
cells that Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) mushrooms have. So researchers from The University of Queensland conducted laboratory tests that measured the neurotrophic effects of compounds isolated from Hericium erinaceus on cultured brain cells.
What the research team discovered was that the mushroom extract and its active components largely increase the size of growth cones, which are crucial for brain cells to be able to sense their environment and establish new connections with other neurons within the brain.
By unlocking the potential benefits found in these mushroom compounds, researchers hope that therapies can be developed to protect and treat neurodegenerative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
