Can a Mushroom Stop Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia Progression?
By: Dr. Alessandro Crimi
Tags: Brain, Mushrooms, Nature, Dementia, Alzheimers

3. Western Research on Lion’s mane

Lion’s mane fungi contain several bioactive metabolites, including polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, and more. Several studies suggest that they offer neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory actions, and stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, along with many other beneficial properties.

Preclinical studies (in vitro and animal) show that lion’s mane can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Those animal studies show that lion’s mane increases nerve growth factor levels and may enhance short term memory, hence contrasting Alzheimer [4].

2 groups of ICR mice were used, both with injected Amyloid β-Protein Fragment 25–35 inducing Alzheimer’s like plaques. A group of mice was on a lions’ mane diet for 23 days and the other group on nomral diet. On day 21 of the experiment, mice were subjected to the Y-Maze experiment for the first time, which reflects spatial memory capacity. On days 21–23, the same mice had memory further assessed using the Novel Object Recognition Test. This test determines how well the animals can remember if an object is familiar or novel based on the time that the animal interacts with the object. Typically, mice spend more time with unfamiliar objects because of the novelty effect, so do mice with memory deficits as they forgot the object. The mice that received the lion’s mane diet had significantly higher discrimination ratio than the mice on normal diet [4].

A similar study used APPswe/PS1dE9 mice models — mice models predisposed to develop plaques like Alzheimer naturally- showing lion’s mane supplements decreasing production of amyloid-beta (AB) protein, which is implicated in the pathophysiology of plaque creation in the brain of Alzheimer patients. The rationale is given by an indirect action of the NGF synthesis [5].

In a clinical trial with humans, more specifically mild cognitive impaired (MCI) subjects, lion’s mane showed to improve cognitive functions. In a small small double-blind, placebo controlled study, old Japanese MCI patients were involved. They took 250 mg lion’s mane three times daily for a month, showing later on improvements in specific tasks related to memory, as spatial short-term and visual recognition memory [6].

In addition to research on impaired mice, it has been investigated whether lion’s mane mushroom affects healthy, normal mice. A study showed, promising results in explorative tasks (like those aforementioned) performed by a group of mice on lion’s mane diet, compared to other wild-type mice on normal diet. Therefore, lion’s mane extract may also help regenerate brain cells and improve the functioning of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, which a relevant region of the brain responsible for processing memories and emotional responses [7–8]. A recent article has reviewed these and other studies involving lion’s mane and other mushrooms in relationship to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease [9].

Describing my personal use, I can share anecdotically that using 2 spoons of lions mane extract and coffee. I had the impression of prolonged alertness given by the caffeine, as if lion’s mane extract prolongs the caffeine effect. I have not seen particular impact taking the mushroom extract without coffee. Instead, they are delicious if slightly fried or sauté, though it seems the nootropic agents could be destroyed by high temperature.