HERBAL WELLNESS
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healing botanicals for your body and mind
The Lion’s Share of Benefits Lion’s mane, with its long, shaggy spines that resemble—you guessed it—a lion’s mane, has been shown to ease depression, enhance focus and concentration, and more.
Despite its long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) is only now getting the attention it deserves in the West. Research shows that it contains a plethora of health-enhancing constituents, including antioxidants and immune-boosting beta-glucan, and proponents maintain that it can address a slew of health problems. Lion’s mane is known to help with brain and mood issues, including anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. It also has a reputation for easing high cholesterol,
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inflammation, ulcers, and digestive concerns. And if that’s not enough, it also exhibits cancer-preventive effects. While these may seem like a wide range of disparate conditions, they’re all linked by one thing—inflammation. One study evaluating the potential of 14 different mushrooms held that this leonine remedy had the fourth-highest antioxidant activity, which may explain its benefits for inflammatory conditions. Better for Your Brain Lion’s mane may help older adults with mild cognitive impairment, according to
a study in which researchers assigned 30 cognitively impaired older adults to consume either mushroom extract or a placebo for 16 weeks. In cognitive tests given throughout the study, patients in the lion’s mane cohort showed significantly greater improvements compared to those taking a placebo. Another study examined the effects of lion’s mane on brain function, concluding that the fungus helped protect against memory problems caused by brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary studies have shown that lion’s mane
Photo: Getty Images
BY KARTA PURKH SINGH KHALSA, DN-C, RH
• AUGUST 2021
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6/22/21 4:11 PM
