Hericium erinaceus is a rather rare edible mushroom, used for its healing, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic properties. Let’s find out better.
Description of the mushroom
Called Hericium Erinaceus, it is found throughout the northern hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. Due to its appearance, it has been given a series of curious names including Lion’s Mane (lion’s mane), Monkey’s Head (monkey’s head), Monkey’s Mushroom (monkey’s mushroom), Old Man’s beard (old man’s beard) and many others.
It is an edible and very good mushroom that is used in cooking even if not too often since it is quite rare to find, obviously widely used in natural medicine for its historic healing properties both in China and in Japan.
The natives of North America used it as a healing agent for cuts and to stop bleeding and it was part of their “medicine bag”.
The properties of Hericium erinaceus
Many studies attribute to Hericium antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic properties at the gastro-enteric level, for this reason it is the mushroom of excellence for inflammatory and infectious diseases that involve the mucous membrane of the digestive system.
Its action goes from the esophagus to the anus, rebalances the intestinal bacterial flora by nourishing it, inflames the mucous membranes, healing them and thus correcting the situations of intestinal permeability (Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, malabsorption diseases, Helicobacter Pylori).
In this case we are talking, in fact, of what is called Leaky Gut Syndrome, or syndrome of impaired permeability or syndrome of the bowel punctured and which leads, among other things, to candidiasis and often relapsing cystitis.
It is therefore very useful to deal with swelling, difficult digestion, gastritis and even gastritis caused by Helicobacter Pylori and last but not least the hiatal and gastroduodenal hernia.
It acts on the nervous system on the axis of stress, anxiety, melancholy, but also on memory deficits, reduction of concentration.
Also useful in neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
In this case, Hericium was effective thanks to the two active ingredients contained in the fungus Erinacine and Ericenoni able to cross the blood-brain barrier, thus protecting neurons from damage by some neurotoxic substances and stimulating the regeneration of the nerve cell.
In this sense the fungus could be used for brain tissue regeneration and cell repair. This mushroom is the only source in nature with these characteristics.
When to use it
Slow digestion, dyspepsia, gastric acidity, nervous gastritis, Helicobacter Pylori gastritis, acute and chronic intestinal inflammation (Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.) and grastrointestinal with double anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, probiotic and stimulating action on the immune system.
Hericium is also one of the medicinal mushrooms, suitable for the treatment of gastro-enteric disorders, such as irritable bowel, thanks to the anti-inflammatory effects and the regenerating and healing properties of the intestinal mucosa.
Hericium is also important for neurological pathologies such as Parkinson‘s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis, but also for memory and concentration deficits; it acts excellently on stress and anxiety somatised in the stomach.
Hericium erinaceus in traditional Chinese medicine
It is indicated for the Land Lodge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (stomach-spleen-pancreas) in particular for those subjects who tend to develop gastrointestinal problems especially from nervous somatization, but not only.
Its action on the stress axis in some subjects also improves insomnia and anxiety.
It has a sweet taste, a thermal effect, acts on the Stomach-Spleen-Pancreas meridians, its color is white, its season is autumn, its main action is on the Earth Lodge, but it is also used for the Water Lodge and Metal.
