By Bex Prade, a clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner.
As I sit here writing, I’m enjoying my second cup of organic coffee for the morning laced with collagen, cinnamon, MCT powder and Lion’s mane, one of the functional mushrooms, known for its ability to help stimulate brain function. It’s just what I need.
My day job is to help men and women balance their hormones, fix their gut and heal their skin using the powers of functional medicine but in my downtime, I like reading all about and experimenting with biohacking.
The term biohacking is essentially as simple as it sounds… to “hack” biology. However, there’s a catch, this kind of biology generally relates to one’s own body. The definition of biohacking highly depends on who you ask, but it is largely ‘the attempt to alter and control your body and brain to subsequently optimise your performance’. Now who wouldn’t want that?
There are various ways in which you can experiment with biohacking, whether it be as simple as tracking your sleep or adding a new food or product like functional mushrooms into your diet, but it can also be as crazy as implanting a micro-chip into your hand or injecting yourself with gene-editing technology! I think it’s safe to say I currently relate to the former.
Functional mushrooms, dubbed “elixirs of life”, have plenty of health benefits from helping to regulate various physiological processes ranging from immune-boosting properties to their positive effect on the brain and mental health. Unlike regular mushrooms, these functional mushrooms are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, and are adaptogenic, meaning they help the body manage stress.
Lion’s Mane is gaining significant attention in research due to its great health benefits, especially for its ability to stimulate nerve growth factor in the brain.
Nerve growth factor supports the growth and survival of developing and mature neurons. This involves myelin production; myelin is a fatty sheath that surrounds our neurons and allows electrical impulses within our brain to transmit quickly and efficiently. As the ageing process takes place, occurring from pretty much our early 20s, the myelin sheath starts to decay slowly. Research into the bioactive compounds within Lion’s mane has shown that they may help to remyelinate the neurons by stimulating the production of nerve growth factor, cool huh! This may allow our brain to continue to rapidly and efficiently process information, which may improve cognition including memory, focus, intelligence and awareness. Now you see why I’ve added it to my coffee. An interesting study by Vigna et al. showed that after 8 weeks of oral supplementation of Lion’s Mane, volunteers had decreased levels of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.
Lion’s mane can be taken in the morning or the evening. In the morning it may help to stimulate brain function for the day and when taken just before bed it’s known to help improve sleep by increasing REM sleep.
Let’s look at some of the other functional mushrooms and their benefits:
Turkey Tail and Reishi both contain a high number of polysaccharides; long chain carbohydrates shown in research to activate immune cells. Once activated, these cells are known to send signals throughout the immune system, helping boost your immune response, just what’s needed with Autumn around the corner. Both functional mushrooms also contain high amounts of antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents that can help soothe irritation and inflammation. Plus, Turkey Tail may help increase good bacteria in your gut, essential to maintaining the immune system and gut health.
Chaga, known to help strengthen the immune system and promote healthy skin, is also a great source of natural long-lasting energy without caffeine or crashes by supporting energy metabolism and reducing feelings of tiredness and fatigue. It’s a high source of natural antioxidants with over 200 nutritional compounds, surpassing blueberries, turmeric, and acai berries, when it comes to antioxidant power. These antioxidants play a vital role in safeguarding cells from stress and toxins that contribute to the acceleration of the ageing process.
Cordyceps, renowned for its remarkable energy-boosting properties is often embraced by athletes to enhance exercise performance, stamina, and improve overall physical endurance. This natural stress buster goes beyond physical benefits, offering relief from anxiety and fatigue associated with stress. As an adaptogen, cordyceps supports the body during stressful periods, regulating the production of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This regulatory function helps calm the often overstimulated and wired nervous system.
To incorporate these potent mushrooms into your daily wellness routine, simply look for clean extracts or powders which can be easily added to your coffee, soup broth, water, or opt for the convivence of capsules.
