People have known about the medicinal values of mushrooms for centuries, and academic research, mainly focusing on lion's mane, supports this knowledge. Through studies in individual cells, mice, and humans, scientists have found that specific compounds in lion's mane stimulate nerve and brain cell growth and help them live longer.
Why are mushrooms so beneficial?
Hericenones
Under typical circumstances, many different cells in our bodies, including brain cells, grow and survive thanks to the work of nerve growth factors (NGFs). These are proteins our bodies make, which bind to receptors on those cells and initiate a sequence of signals, ending in either the cells' death or growth. Extracts of lion's mane stimulate cell growth by making NGFs better at their job, essentially telling our bodies to make more NGFs to initiate more growth. Hericenones are compounds that mushrooms use to produce growth in our cells, similar to average amounts of NGF, stimulating and stimulating cell growth.
So, the lion's mane helps our brain cells grow more prominent, extend outward to interact with other cells, and stay alive -- leading to better brain health and cognitive function. Consistent consumption of functional mushrooms for a few weeks has shown increased brain function and memory. Lion's mane mushrooms increase the creation of new cells in the hippocampus to help improve memory. It also led brain cells in the hippocampus to be more active, releasing more neurotransmitters.
Erinacines
There was also a study in 2019 that found that the lion's mane decreased the number of brain cells that express an enzyme that causes inflammation and often leads to cell death. This means that lion's mane provides an anti-inflammatory effect and keeps more cells from dying, allowing brain cells to live longer. Erinacines are another set of mushroom compounds responsible for another sequence of signals that reduce inflammation.
Summary
Functional mushrooms have been used medicinally throughout recorded history, and modern science has been able to prove their effects.
The NGFs discussed are found to be deficient in Alzheimer's patients. The effects from functional mushrooms, when consumed consistently, have been shown to improve cognitive function and memory and help prevent age-related mental conditions.