Enhancing Your Mental Wellbeing Using Mushrooms
Over the last few years, functional mushrooms have been taking the wellness world by storm, and with good reason. For this savoury superfood is packed full of vitamins and antioxidants that help support a wide variety of health concerns from improving your energy levels to helping promote healthy skin.
However, the exact benefits of mushrooms do depend on the type of mushroom that you consume and when it comes to your mental wellbeing Lion’s Mane is king and Mycologic is here to help!
How to stay on top of your mental game with Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane is a large, white mushroom that gets its name from its shaggy mane-like appearance as it grows. Research has found that specific compounds found in Lion’s Mane offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuro-protective benefits.
Inflammation is a natural part of our immune system, as it helps the body to protect against harmful bacteria and viruses, for example, as well as to heal and repair. However, chronic inflammation, which can be caused by stress, poor sleep, and a diet high in sugar, processed foods, or alcohol, can cause symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, and reduced alertness. Over time this may lead to more serious health problems including dementia or depression.
One of the results of inflammation is that the body creates free radicals. These are unstable molecules that can cause damage to healthy cells. Antioxidants effectively ‘mop up’ the free radicals, helping to protect our tissues and organs, including the brain, from damage and decline.
Lion’s Mane has been shown to have a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect on the brain, as well as providing neuroprotective benefits. Alongside this, it also helps to stimulate nerve growth factors, and specifically BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Our brains are neuro-plastic, which means they have ability to change and adapt. BDNF is a key molecule that is involved in plastic changes related to memory and learning.
One of the flagship ingredients in Mycologic is Lion’s Mane, because of its combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and BDNF properties that make it a bit of a superhero when it comes to boosting your brain. Not only helping to protect against long-term damage, but it may also help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as improving focus, memory and reducing brain fog.
Adapt to stress better with Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that helps to bring your body back into balance. In particular, ashwagandha is most well-known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. One small study found that it not only helped reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), but it also helped reduce perceived stress too, over an eight-week period.
This is why ashwagandha is included as one of the three active ingredients in Mycologic Mind Flow. It also brings balance to the brain as ashwagandha also contains GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter (brain chemical), that helps us to feel calmer, but can lead to a better night’s sleep too.
The new berry on the block – Aronia Berry
Aronia berries are small dark berries that look a bit like darker blueberries. They are packed full of polyphenols (plant compounds) that not only give the berries their dark colour but are an excellent source of antioxidants which help to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and protect the brain from damage. Research has also found that they can up-regulate endothelial nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is a molecule that is produced by the body, and allows blood, nutrients, and oxygen to travel to every part of your body. When the body doesn’t make enough nitric oxide, this can affect your brain’s performance because of the decreased blood flow, oxygen and nutrients and lead to brain fog, as well as reduce overall brain performance and cognition.
Mycologic takes advantage of the powerful antioxidant load of these aronia berries in their Mind Flow formula to help safeguard brain cells from oxidative stress and inflammation.
A powerful trio when it comes to brain fog
Whilst these ingredients have great individual benefits, when they are brought together in Mycologic they make for an amazing powerhouse when it comes to overcoming brain fog and supporting your mental wellbeing.