We love lion’s mane tea for many reasons. So, what’s so special about this fungi anyway? Studies & anecdotal evidence reveal that lion’s mane mushroom benefits range from improved focus to improved brain health. It’s also been shown to exhibit antioxidant and neuroprotective effects that slow and reduce symptoms of memory loss in mice, and even prevent neuronal damage [1].
Mushroom tea is one of the most popular and oldest ways to consume these mushrooms, and it also happens to be one of the most delicious. In this post, we’re going to go over the amazing benefits of this functional mushroom along with teas you can try.
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Through History
The lionshead mushroom is named for its appearance: it looks exactly like the mane of the powerful lion!
Traditionally, this mushroom was often reserved for royalty and monks. It was even called “yamabushitake” in Japan, which means “Mountain Priest Mushroom.” Historically, lion’s mane was used to treat various types of cancer as well as “nourish the spleen” and “fortify the gut.” These traditional uses are surprisingly close to their modern uses and modern scientific findings as well.
They’re white in color with long and shaggy tendrils making up its “mane.” It grows naturally in North America, Asia, and Europe, but has mainly been used for its medicinal properties in Asia. It’s often consumed raw or in the form of powders or capsules, but brewing it as a tea has a long-standing tradition, and if you love a cup of tea, it’s certainly the easiest and most enjoyable way to enjoy the lion’s mane mushroom benefits everyday. Only recently did the use of this amazing mushroom become more well-known in Western parts of the world.\
Those who eat this mushroom describe the flavor to be similar to seafood, but only when it’s cooked! When brewed, lion's mane tea has a very mild & subtly sweet flavor that pairs incredibly well with spices including turmeric, and ginger.
Our lion's mane tea called Lion’s Spice is a full-bodied blend that’s incredibly nourishing with turmeric, ginger, and black peppercorn - a winning combination that has been found to enhance the absorption of curcumin by 2,000% [2] and have anti-inflammatory properties. Our Lion-Maitake Clarity blend offers the healing benefits of both mushrooms with the flavors of herbaceous tulsi. This maitake and lion’s mane tea is such a treat!
Lion’s Mane Tea Benefits
We know that these mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Now, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of Lion's Mane mushroom supported by scientific studies as well as by lion’s mane users from around the world!
Reduce Inflammation
According to a 2012 scientific study, lion’s mane mushrooms have a significantly high antioxidant concentration [3]. There are a number of benefits of Antioxidants for our health. This includes protecting your cells against damage & oxidation and reducing inflammation. Because lion’s mane mushrooms are so high in antioxidants, it’s believed that they are able to reduce inflammation and cellular damage throughout the body.One study showed that rats given H. erinaceus saw a great reduction in inflammation of the brain and even reduced their risk of stroke [4]. Another study showed mice with ulcerative colitis had significant reduction in intestinal inflammation when consuming lion's mane [5].
While these studies are in animal models, it does show the great potential of these mushrooms that could translate to humans.
Inflammation is linked to a number of diseases and health issues, including:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Chronic diseases (lupus, arthritis, etc)
Immune System Support
The antioxidants in these mushrooms are also believed to help boost your immune system. This may help you fight off disease and stay healthy.
Studies show that compounds in H. erinaceus (like beta glucans and polysaccharides) could be what causes this immune boost [6].
Other studies in animals have shown that these mushrooms also have antimicrobial and anti-bacterial properties [7].
Focus & Clarity
Lion’s mane mushroom has a long history with Buddhist monks who are known to use it to boost brain power and improve their focus and clarity while meditating.
A number of human studies have shown this mushroom’s ability to improve cognition, focus, and memory [8]. There are also some animal studies that show how lion’s mane can reduce plaque in the brain that can lead to decreased focus and clarity as you age [9].
We do need more evidence before making definitive conclusions. However, current evidence suggests that there is potential for these mushrooms to improve overall brain health [10].
We love lion’s mane tea for these very reasons. It’s a great way to keep your mind focused and calm without having to solely depend on cups of coffee or other artificial stimulants that leave you feeling jittery from the side effects of caffeine.
Mood and Brain Health
Another common effect that lion’s mane mushroom tea drinkers report is feelings of calm and decreased feelings of stress and anxiety.
This is backed up with a few different scientific studies. One saw that participants ingesting lion’s mane had a reduction in feelings of anxiety and depression after just 4 weeks [11]. This could be because of the various compounds found in lion’s mane, and it’s also believed to be linked to the anti-inflammatory properties we discussed earlier. High levels of inflammation have been linked to both anxiety and depression. The anti-inflammatory properties of lion’s mane mushroom could potentially reduce that inflammation. This, in turn, could have a positive impact on mental health and help with some mood disorders [12].
Intrigued? Try Some Lion’s Mane Tea
Lion’s mane mushroom benefits don’t stop there, either! People report feeling happier, calmer, and healthier when consuming these mushrooms.
Tamim Teas believes in the power of mushrooms, so much so that our teas have no artificial ingredients, caffeine, preservatives, or man-made chemicals. We’re dedicated to using mushrooms for health as naturally as possible.
Not sure about how to make lion’s mane tea on your own? We have two lion’s mane mushroom tea varieties for you to try: Lion’s Spice and Lion-Maitake Clarity. Both contain the delicious flavors of herbs and spices to complement the functional mushrooms and create these very special organic and natural blends.
[1] BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016; 16: 170. Published online 2016 Jun 7. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1154-5
[2] Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):353-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2006-957450.
[3] Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2012, Article ID 464238, 12 pages, 2012. doi: 10.1155/2012/464238
[4] Int J Mol Sci . 2014 Aug 27;15(9):15073-89. doi: 10.3390/ijms150915073.
[5] Int J Med Mushrooms. 2016;18(3):227-34. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i3.50.
[6] Effects of Atmospheric and Room Temperature Plasma (ARTP) Mutagenesis on Physicochemical Characteristics and Immune Activity In Vitro of Hericium erinaceus Polysaccharides. Molecules. 2019 Jan 11;24(2):262. doi: 10.3390/molecules24020262.
[7] J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Aug 19;63(32):7108-23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914. Epub 2015 Aug 5.
[8] Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009 Mar;23(3):367-72. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2634.
[9] Therapeutic potential of culinary-medicinal mushrooms for the management of neurodegenerative diseases: diversity, metabolite, and mechanism. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2015;35(3):355-68. doi: 10.3109/07388551.2014.887649.
[10] J Tradit Complement Med. 2013 Jan-Mar; 3(1): 62–68. doi: 10.4103/2225-4110.106549
[11] Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomed Res. 2010 Aug;31(4):231-7. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.31.231.
[12] Evaluation of in vivo antioxidant activity of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides. Int J Biol Macromol. 2013 Jan;52:66-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2012.09.009. Epub 2012 Sep 19.
