Focus For The Win
Surviving WFH with Lion's Mane mushroom
4 minute read
Topics: mental focus, work from home
In headlines: TLDR
Focus can elude us when we need it most. Working from home is proof, surely
Lion’s Mane mushrooms, known for brain benefits, help you easily snap into work and power through
If you are new to Lion’s Mane, then read on…
HAPPY
NEW
YEAR!
Focus is hard to come by
It’s 2021 and we hope you, and those close to you, are healthy.
Once again, we need to hold things together as the virus continues. For many, ’Work From Home’ is still on the table, mixed up with the rest of life.
Good luck to us!
Even before this calamity called Covid-19, we have been experiencing untold distractions from work…
the N E V E R - E N D I N G stream
of pings, notifications,
interruptions & frustrations.
This is a real problem for the work that counts, the work that requires focus.
“The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy”.
- Doist, Productivity Blog [1]
‘Deep Work' is the title of Cal Newport’s book [2] and qualifies as a ‘must-read’ with work routines to help you focus.
Focus comes at a premium for anyone who uses their mind to make a living.
Focus with Lion's Mane
Yes, work routines are useful but disturbances are inevitable at home. It’s a battle to get back into work after each distraction.
And let’s face it, it’s not ‘just work’. We want great work.
Progress, creativity and innovation are currencies that push the world on. They do not happen without focus.
Lion's Mane: music for your ears
More literally - focus for your brain.
You can think of Lion's Mane as good food for your brain.
It’s a legal, edible functional mushroom known for stimulating mental cognition and showing promise for dementia.
Lion's Mane mushroom activates the nervous system and increases neurons in your brain.
Sensational? Links to the science, below.
This is old news to those living in the East.
The health benefits of functional mushrooms [3] have been used there for thousands of years.
Lion's Mane: headlines & highlights
For conclusive results, researchers are pursuing further investigation. However, existing findings do mirror what people experience when taking Lion's Mane:
Mood stabilising
People have reported a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms [4] which mirrors results found in mice models [5, 6].
This is likely because functional mushrooms like Lion's Mane modulate the immune system and help you manage stress.
Feeling less anxious and scattered helps you snap into work.
Mental clarity & focus
Clarity and focus are probably the benefits people talk most about.
Neurons are the information messengers in your brain and Lion's Mane stimulates the growth and survival of neurons.
It is one of the few naturally occurring foods that can produce nerve growth factor [9, 10] which improves brain functioning.
You should experience clarity and focus so you can power through your work.
Improved memory
Researchers found that memory is improved because Lion's Mane “induces a boost effect onto neuronal functions”.
In a mouse model, Lion's Mane is shown to reduce memory loss and cognitive dysfunction [7].
Another study concludes, "Our findings provide experimental evidence that HE (Lion's Mane) may provide neuroprotective candidates for treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases [8]”.
Other benefits
Lion's Mane has also been investigated for other health benefits.
These include: reducing heart disease risk, reducing risk of digestive tract ulcers, managing diabetes symptoms, possibly cancer fighting, reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system.
This is it
Moksha
Safety: Functional mushrooms like Lion's Mane are considered to be very safe, even in high quantities. However, if you have a mushroom allergy or auto-immune problems then you should seek advice from a medical practitioner.
Not all mushroom extracts are equal: Always look for high quality products. Consider Lion's Mane made with fruiting body, Beta-glucan polysaccharides of 20-30% and mycelium-rich compounds. Beware high levels of fillers, starches and grains. While not harmful they are less beneficial.
Dosage: Generally, the recommended dosage is a minimum of 1g per day. A qualified practitioner will be able to advise on dosage for your circumstances. Everyday consumption is suggested as benefits are shown to correlate with regular consumption.
Disclaimer: The findings here are for your information but aren’t intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner for advice. Please remember: do not eat mushrooms unless you know they are safe to consume.
Sources
Doist productivity blog: The Complete Guide to Deep Work
Newport C. 2016. Deep Work, Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.
Elsayed EA, Enshasy HE, Wadaan MAM, Aziz R. 2014. Mushrooms: a potential natural source of anti-inflammatory compounds for medical applications. Mediators of Inflammation.
Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R, Hayashi C, Sato D, Kitagawa K, Ohnuki K. 2010. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical Research.
Yao W, Zhang J, Dong C, Zhuang C, Hirota S, Inanaga K, Hashimoto K. 2015. Effects of amycenone on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, and depression-like behavior in mice after lipopolysaccharide administration. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour.
Chiu C, Chyau C, Chen C, Lee L, Chen W, Liu J, Lin W, Mong M. 2018. Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Brandalise F, Cesaroni V, Gregori A, Repetti M, Romano C, Orrù G, Botta L, Girometta C, Guglielminetti ML, Savino E and Rossi P. Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Zhang J, An S, Hu W, Teng M, Wang X, Qu Y Liu Y, Yuan Y and Wang D. 2016. The Neuroprotective Properties of Hericium erinaceus in Glutamate-Damaged Differentiated PC12 Cells and an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Wong K, Naidu M, David P, Abdulla MA, Abdullah N, Kuppusamy UR, Sabaratnam V. 2011. Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Following Crush Injury to Rat Peroneal Nerve by Aqueous Extract of Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae). Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Ma B, Shen J, Yu H, Ruan Y, Wu T & Zhao X. 2010. Hericenones and erinacines: stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF) biosynthesis in Hericium erinaceus. International Journal on Fungal Biology.
Li I, Lee L, Tzeng T, Chen W, Chen Y, Shiao Y and Chen C. 2018. Neurohealth Properties of Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Enriched with Erinacines. Behavioural Neurology.