Buy lion’s mane supplements from us, in either powdered or liquid form, and experience the benefits of functional mushrooms in your diet and life
Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is nothing short of amazing. Not only does this gourmet edible look very different from many other mushrooms, it tastes great and serves as a popular “functional'' mushroom.
Lion’s mane supplements come from this “furry” fungal friend that we discuss in further depth below.
Understanding why lion’s mane supplements are so good: A look at erinacines and hericenones
As you may have noticed above, the scientific name of lion’s mane mushroom is Hericium erinaceus. As the name suggests, this mushroom has constituents known as hericenones and erinacines. Let’s begin with a definition of these constituents.
According to RestorativeMedicine.org, “Hericenones A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H are aromatic compounds isolated from the fruiting bodies of Lion's mane mushroom. Hericenones have shown a strong stimulatory effect on the biosynthesis of nerve growth factor (NGF) in vitro.”
The same source defines erinacines as,“cyathin diterpenoids that appear to stimulate the synthesis of NGF.
According to the study Neurohealth Properties of Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Enriched with Erinacines:
“Hericium erinaceus, an ideal culinary-medicinal mushroom, has become a well-established candidate in promoting positive brain and nerve health-related activities by inducing the nerve growth factor from its bioactive ingredient. Among its active compounds, only erinacine A has confirmed pharmacological actions in the central nervous system in rats.”
Erinacines and hericenones seem to only be found in lion’s mane mushrooms, so if you want these constituents in your diet, lion’s mane supplements is the way to go.
Understanding “functional mushrooms” as supplements and powders
There are many mushrooms in the world, with thousands of them being edible. However, a much smaller amount of mushrooms are considered to be functional mushrooms. According to Eat This, Not That!, “15 are recognized to have what are called functional benefits. This means that beyond their nutritional benefits, they have each been found to help support overall health and well-being in one way or another (i.e. lowering stress levels, sharpening cognitive function, providing a boost of energy, etc.).”
Lion’s mane is one of those mushrooms that have been called “functional” because of its nutritional benefits. Other mushrooms on the list of functional mushrooms include”
Chaga
Cordyceps
Enokitake
Maitake (also known as Hen of the Woods)
Oyster Mushrooms
Reishi
Shiitake
Turkey Tail
Although eating mushrooms for health and medicinal properties is gaining popularity, it is certainly not a new concept even if the term “functional mushrooms” has only been around a short time. Many different cultures around the world have consumed the fruited mushroom body for thousands of years. This brings me to my next point: We believe mushroom supplements should be made of mushroom fruiting bodies and not simply mycelium.
The efficacy between these two different anatomical parts of a fungus is hotly debated currently but it is important to know that some companies do not use any fruiting mushroom bodies when they produce mushroom supplements. The biggest downside to using myceliated grain is the fungus cannot be separated from the rice so both end up in the final product. Paul Stamets states, "Growing on rice might have 30-40% conversion of rice to mycelium" meaning that up to 70% of the product could still be rice and not fungal tissue.
When buying a real mushroom extract that exclusively contains fruiting bodies, you can rest assured you are receiving 100% fungal tissue and no grain in the final product. The powdered lion’s mane supplement we provide contains no mycelium grown on grain. Our lion’s mane supplement is made from only mushroom fruiting bodies, just like people have eaten as food for their health for a long time. Also, our lion’s mane supplement is certified organic and it does not involve any GMOs. You can feel great about the mushroom supplements we sell.
Lion’s mane supplements as powders and liquid tinctures
We’ve mentioned that there are lion’s mane supplements available from us, in both dual-extracted liquid form and powdered form. You can get these from us to save time in making your own lion’s mane supplements at home.
However, we also want to empower our audience members to not only use mushroom supplements, but to make their own if desired. You can make your own liquid mushroom tinctures if you have lion’s mane mushrooms, water, and high-proof alcohol that is 25-35% alcohol.
Here is a look at how to make a lion’s mane tincture at home.
First, make tea using hot water. This will help pull out the aqueous compounds stored in the mushroom. However, there will be other constituents in the mushrooms that are not water soluble and instead, alcohol soluble.
Next you want to separate the water and the mushrooms. Once the water and the mushrooms are separated, soak the mushrooms in alcohol for 4-6 weeks. This will help draw out the remaining constituents that the hot water extract could not obtain. You can shake the alcohol and mushroom combination throughout the soaking process.
Once the mushrooms have been soaked in alcohol for 4-6 weeks, combine the tea with the alcohol and you have your mushroom tincture.
Grow your own lion’s mane to make your own supplements or tinctures
Having lion’s mane mushrooms is the first part of making a tincture. For those of you interested in the entire process, realize that you can grow your own lion’s mane at home with a growing kit or spawn!
Imagine growing your own fresh lion’s mane and then tincturing them to get the most out of your lion’s mane mushroom growing. Each mushroom growing kit we sell is 10 pounds of colonized substrate and certified organic. Watching the furry lion’s mane grow is very exciting, and the tincture you can make once the fruited bodies are harvested will feel very rewarding. Get your own lion’s mane kit now, so you can begin growing your own fresh mushrooms at home.