Adaptogens in our tea: mushrooms

Hericenones and Erinacines: Cognitive Enhancement and Neuroprotection

Lion’s mane mushrooms are probably best known for their brain-boosting properties. Studies have shown lion’s mane mushrooms may have the potential to enhance memory, focus, and overall cognitive function. These effects are usually attributed to two unique families of compounds found in lion’s mane: hericenones and erinacines.

These compounds stimulate the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein essential for the survival, maintenance, and growth of neurons. By boosting NGF levels, Lion’s mane promotes neurogenesis and neuronal repair, particularly in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory.

Hericenones are present in the fruiting body of lion’s mane, but erinacines are only present in the mycelium. Both classes of compounds activate NGF but erinacines are roughly 5 times as potent as hericenones at doing so. We use an extract of the fruiting body in our mushroom tea which does NOT contain erinacines, so if you are looking to seriously investigate the use of lion’s mane in inducing NGF, we recommend purchasing a separate supplement rather than trying to get that out of our tea. Make sure you read reviews and investigate the company’s products as many companies use extracts of mycelated grain and not the mycelium itself. For erinacine I would recommend Oriveda’s full spectrum ethanol extract of lion’s mane mycelium or Nootropics Depot’s Erinamax supplement. For hericenones, 1:1 lion’s mane extract is the way to go. A 1:1 extract is an unfiltered extract of the fruiting body which ensures maximum bioavailability while leaving no potentially beneficial compound behind. We produce a 1:1 extract of lion’s mane, although we do not yet sell it online. 1:1 fruiting body extracts are widely produced, Oriveda and Real Mushrooms both carry 1:1 extracts that have gotten good reviews.

Protein-Bound Polysaccharides found in turkey tail mycelium
Some of the most exciting potential medicinal uses of turkey tail mushrooms are attributed to two protein-bound beta glucans: polysaccharide peptide (PSP) and polysaccharide krestin (PSK.) We use extracts of the fruiting body in our tea which do not contain useful quantities of any of these peptides. PSK is produced in the mycelium of turkey tail, and PSP is produced by immersed liquid state fermentation of a specific strain (COV-1) of turkey tail that has been used in medical research.

PSP is currently in the animal-testing phase of research in many countries for use as an anti-tumor drug and is believed to work as a biological response modifier (BRM), enhancing the body’s own use of macrophages and T-lymphocytes, rather than directly attacking any tumors. PSK has been approved in Japan for use as an adjuvant therapy in cancer since the mid-70s. It is typically used to strengthen the immune system when given with standard cancer treatment. If you are interested in these compounds I personally would point you towards Oriveda’s PSP-50 supplement, which as far as I know is the only supplement on the market made with the PSP producing COV-1 strain of turkey tail.