Bear's Head Mushroom and It's Health Benefits

Description:

There are many varieties in the teeth fungi family. The variety that we find on conifer stumps and logs in North Idaho are the Bear’s Head (Hericium americanum) and it goes under other common names. It has the same healing properties of its cousin, Lion’s Mane which you can purchase at health food stores fresh or dried. At Freeborn Family Farms, we are students of the forest and we find that wild food is more medicinal than farm grown. Food that grows in the wild yields more medicinal compounds as it strives to survive in its habitat. (Kimmerer, Robin. Braiding Sweetgrass. MI, Milkweed ed. 2013.)

Health Benefits:

There are countless studies (mostly conducted in China) that prove how potent and medicinal this fungi is for human consumption. There is a long historical record of Chinese doctors and healers working with mushroom to attain optimal health for their patients. Mushrooms are now getting more attention in western culture but mushroom enthusiasts have always been around. Studies have proven that Bear’s Head mushroom produces Eninacines, which are strong stimulators of the nerve growth factor synthesis. (Kawagishi et al. 1991, 1994). These compounds stimulate neurons to regrow, which support the brain and neurotransmitters. Potentially significant in the treatment of senility, Alzheimer’s disease, repairing neurological trauma from strokes, improving muscle/motor response pathways and cognitive function.

Another study reported it to be effective on treating ulcers, inflammations, and tumors of the alimentary canal (Chen 1992). Ingestion of this mushroom is said to have remarkable effects in extending the life of cancer ridden patients. Ying (1987) reports that taking pills of this mushroom are used in the treatment of gastric and esophageal carcinoma.

*This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on this page is for general information purposes only.