On the current NutraIngredients Lively Diet Summit (ANS) held in Vienna, periods highlighted areas similar to improved focus and sleep as more and more acknowledged key parts of sports activities efficiency.
The mushroom house is booming due to this, and types now embrace standard varieties similar to lion’s mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps in standard practical meals and drinks.
Lion’s mane is arguably the most well-liked for cognitive well being. Nonetheless, based on Robin Gurney, director of the Estonian licensed natural mushroom extract provider Musheez, its true potential could lie in its bodily results, notably in areas similar to nerve restoration, muscle–nerve perform and tissue restore following bodily stress.
Prioritizing this as an space of analysis and funding could possibly be the “subsequent massive step in unlocking this mushroom’s true potential for manufacturers and customers alike,” Gurney mentioned throughout a panel dialogue on the ANS.
Lion’s mane for cognitive well being
Lion’s mane is thought for its capacity to advertise neurogenesis, improve cognition and increase temper. Brief-term human trials have highlighted instant enhancements in reminiscence and focus, making it a possible various to caffeine for psychological efficiency.
A number of manufacturers have capitalized on the recognition of this house, with mushroom espresso firms like Spacegoods and Dirtea rising quickly and retail big Marks & Spencer launching its personal lion’s important practical drink earlier this yr.
Google searches for lion’s mane mushroom spiked by 450% in Could 2024 within the UK, pushed by a mixture of TikTok influencers, well being practitioners and tv present references.
The mushroom class is now reportedly the fourth-largest in the ingredient space, a progress attributed to shopper demand for cognitive well being merchandise, with manufacturers like PepsiCo’s Rockstar Power integrating lion’s mane into merchandise, primarily based on shopper suggestions.
Past cognitive well being
In keeping with Gurney, the actual promise of the fungus could lie in its bodily well being purposes.
“Whereas lion’s mane is extensively recognized for supporting psychological readability and focus, we’re starting to see its potential go far past the thoughts,” he instructed NutraIngredients.
The cognitive results of lion’s mane are primarily linked to erinacine A, a neuroactive compound discovered within the mycelium of lion’s mane. Nonetheless, within the UK and European Union, mycelium-derived substances like erinacine A are categorised as unauthorized novel meals and can’t be marketed except they bear formal security analysis and approval.
In the meantime, the fruiting physique of lion’s mane, which comprises a gaggle of bioactive compounds known as hericenones is legally marketable and extensively utilized in dietary supplements.
“Whereas hericenones are bigger molecules that don’t effectively cross the blood–mind barrier, they could nonetheless affect neurotrophic signaling not directly by way of peripheral NGF stimulation, which may have an effect on nerve progress and restore pathways that talk with the mind,” Gurney defined.
Animal analysis means that hericenones from lion’s mane mushroom’s fruiting physique might increase nerve progress issue (NGF) manufacturing, primarily outdoors the mind—within the skin, liver and immune system.
And based on Gurney, this improve in NGF could doubtlessly pace up nerve therapeutic after damage, improve communication between nerves and muscles, enhance restoration from bodily stress or coaching and support tissue repair and immune system function.
“The increasing science factors to whole-body restoration and resilience as the subsequent frontier for high-hericenone extracts,” Gurney instructed NI. “This makes the body-wide advantages of fruiting-body-only extracts a doubtlessly bigger and underappreciated alternative within the present lion’s mane market.”
Market disconnect
The science factors to “actual potential for athletes and gym-goers recovering from pressure or overuse,” Gurney mentioned.
Regardless of these promising developments, he notes a evident disconnect within the market. Among the many roughly 60 lion’s mane manufacturers Musheez works with, none give attention to non-brain-related advantages. The lion’s share of merchandise stays narrowly focused at reminiscence, focus and psychological well-being.
This hole between rising analysis and market choices presents a compelling alternative, he defined, noting that the query isn’t whether or not lion’s mane has potential past mind well being however extra when the business will catch up.
“Given all this, I ponder the place are we going to see new purposes? I believe it’s going to be outdoors the mind. That’s the place the longer term lies,” he mentioned.
