It really is a dreamy sort of moment for a forager when they come upon a fruiting lion’s mane as they’re trekking through the woods. The white, pillowy protrusion on the trunk of a tree is hard to miss and easy to get excited about. Steaks for dinner or straight into the tincture? This fungus can do both!
These mushrooms look nothing like what we expect from fungi; no cap and stem to look at, with its fruiting body dense and spongy and covered in white spines that resemble exactly what it’s named after - the mane of a lion. They are also saprotrophic, meaning they consume the decaying bodies of trees, usually hardwoods. They can be found most often on dead or dying trees, but sometimes are also found on live trees that have wounded areas. Lion’s mane are also called bearded tooth mushrooms or, in a nod to their Latin name, bearded hedgehog. All very appropriate names for this singularly shaped fungus.
But how can they benefit us as “plant” medicine? In Western culture, there is a culture of fear surrounding fungi, and so we often don’t understand them as well as we do plants, which is truly a travesty. Lion’s mane contains a wealth of healing and regenerative power. We primarily think of it as a nootropic that is beneficial to brain function and cognitive ability, with increase in cerebral blood flow and ability to focus being top of the list. Lion’s mane also works on the nervous system, healing damage and benefiting not only people who experience depression or anxiety but also those with dementia, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, and more.
Lion’s mane also works to reduce inflammation in the body and increases immune function. Compounds in lion’s mane have been shown to protect the digestive system from H. pylori bacteria as well as balancing the microbiome of the gut. Truly a powerhouse!
And we’re being serious about the steaks! Lion’s mane is wonderful when taken as a tincture, but if you want to add a little more magic to your dinner, you can slice and cook up a lion’s mane similarly to a steak. Just add butter, salt, and maybe a little tamari. If you’re the chef, you might get a kiss for this one.
You can find our Certified Organic Lion’s Mane as a single extract and it’s also a key ingredient in our Brain Boost formula. We double extract the fruiting body to get out every bit of goodness it has to offer.
