Enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Brain Guardians
When Hippocrates said ‘Let food be thy medicine,’ he may have been thinking of mushrooms.
Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine. Farmers in Japan, China, India, Lebanon, Morocco, Iran, Turkey, and across Europe have always perceived them to be superlative for health.
Most multiple sclerosis (MS) medications treat symptoms, but the next big thing are treatments (drugs) that help the damaged myelin to repair.
While we wait, this is where food can step in.
A study published in investigated lentinen (LNT). It’s a polysaccharide from the mushroom Lentinus edodes. The research showed that the perceived benefits were real.
The mushroom’s common (Japanese) name is shiitake.
Key findings:
- LNT promotes remyelination: It helps repair damaged myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibres.
- LNT reduces neuroinflammation: It decreases inflammation, which is a key factor in MS.
- LNT targets the dectin-1 receptor: This receptor on immune cells plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response.
- LNT shifts microglia from M1 to M2: M1 microglia are pro-inflammatory, while M2 microglia are anti-inflammatory. LNT promotes the beneficial M2 state. In other words, it soothes the fire.
- LNT enhances remyelination through dectin-1: The remyelination effects of LNT are dependent on the dectin-1 receptor.
Overall, the study suggests that LNT could be a promising new treatment for MS, as it can help reduce inflammation and promote nerve repair.
Lion’s Mane Brain Benefits?
Surely, you would have heard about Lion’s mane (hericium erinaceus) mushrooms. It gained huge attention for their potential benefits for brain health, possibly due to the tsunami of older people with chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s.
We need brain drugs!
Lion’s mane contains compounds called hericenones and erinacines, which have been shown to stimulate the growth of nerve cells.
A study in the Journal of Neurochemistry (June 2023) found that Lion’s mane enhanced nerve growth and boosted memory.
Myelin Repair: Some studies suggest that Lion’s mane may support the repair of myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibres. This could improve nerve conduction and alleviate symptoms.
Neurogenesis: Lion’s mane has been shown to stimulate the growth of nerve cells. This could be particularly beneficial for individuals with MS, as it might help repair damaged nerve cells and improve neurological function.
Neuroinflammation: This mushroom has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the nervous system. Chronic inflammation is a key factor in MS, so reducing it could alleviate symptoms.
“When your gut microbiome is healthy, your immune system works better,” dietitian Beth Czerwony told the Cleveland Clinic,
“Lion’s mane mushrooms seem to quiet down inflammation in your gut.”
Shiitake and Lion’s Mane are both culinary and medicinal mushrooms
Some mushrooms can be both culinary and medicinal, depending on their preparation and use.
While many medicinal mushrooms are considered safe, some can be toxic if not prepared or consumed correctly.
How to consume shiitake or Lion’s mane?
The good thing about these two mushrooms is that they have been used by ancient cultures since antiquity and they are edible.
Unless you have a specific allergy or intolerance — they are easy to obtain and consume.
If you don’t like the strong flavour of shiitake, you can take a supplement in a capsule or powder. But eating them is how nature intend.
The Flavour?
Shiitake (pronounced she-ee-tah-kair) tastes strong and earthy. In recipes they can overpower, so use them sparingly. If you make a mushroom lasagne, it can be hard to taste the other mushrooms because shiitake will dominate.
My preference is in miso soup. I often use the dried or fresh when available from the grocer. I slice one into the broth with onion, broccoli, carrot, wakame (seaweed). This makes a delicious, complex stock — without using any stock cubes, which are essentially just salt and vegetable oil (unhealthy). After the soup has reached boiling point, I turn the flame down, add miso paste, dashi, soba noodle, and simmer for a little while. The kids like multiple bowls!
Shiitake is smoky, earthy and very ‘umami’.
Lion’s mane taste more like seafood. It looks a bit like coral with its shaggy mane. It’s a perfect substitute for lobster or crab without killing any sea creatures.
Where to get it?
Powders and capsules are widely available online.
Growers are also around. In Australia, these include Merri Creek Urban Farm in Melbourne, the Clever Mushroom at Gunning in NSW, and the Mushroom Guys are in Perth WA.
All of these have great environmental and sustainability credentials and cool brand stories. Check in your country and area.
Near where I live in the NSW Southern Highlands, there are plenty of saffron milk caps during Autumn. They line the bushy footpath and gather among a field of trees.
A beguiling shade of orange, Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms also full of vitamin D, bioactives, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, making them a nutrient-dense and delicious hearty breakfast or brunch, after your foraging expedition. panfry them with olive oil and garlic.
But warning: Always consult with a mycologist or a qualified expert if you’re foraging for wild mushrooms. Some are very distinctive and it’s easy. My advice is just look for one or two obvious types.
How do you like your mushrooms?
How often should I have them?
The simple answer is when you feel like it. If it’s a supplement you’re taking, follow the packaging and your doctor’s advice.
I eat them once every couple of weeks. When they are blooming on the doorstep, I eat them more often. After all, we’re all on a budget, right?
Free food that’s good for your nerves and your brain, anyone? Dig in!
Be well
XO
