Increasingly, mushroom supplements are coming to prominence due to their myriad of health benefits for body and brain. In this article we discuss the best mushrooms for focus and sources of the best mushroom supplements to increase alertness.
The brain, perhaps the most fascinating organ in the body, and the question of how it functions has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries. Your brain naturally slows down over time, and symptoms of aging (such as lack of focus) are caused by factors that include shrinking neurons and damaged brain cells. Fortunately, nature offers some promising supplements to help combat these problems.
You May Also Like:
Natural Nootropics: Brain Boosters From Nature
Phenylethylamine Hydrochloride: The Non-Addictive Stimulant… and More
Medicinal mushrooms may offer improved cognition and overall brain health for people who have difficulty concentrating. Ancient cultures identified multiple brain benefits from mushrooms for focus, and functional mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine for various purposes, including boosting immune system function and reducing inflammation.
The Best Mushrooms for Focus is an original (MushroomMaestro) article.
Types of mushrooms
Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Chaga mushrooms are three of the most popular and widely studied brain-loving fungi. They are excellent mushrooms for focus, and they help boost brain health. If you have issues with memory loss, poor concentration, and brain fog, these mushrooms may be beneficial to support healthy brain function and neuron generation. They help protect the brain from neurodegeneration, plus they improve memory, mood, and concentration.
China has been a pioneer in modern scientific research of medicinal mushrooms. The birthplace of mushroom cultivation, China grows over 90% of the world’s mushrooms. They even have a research institute dedicated to studying mushrooms, with more mushroom scientists than any other country in the world.
The benefits of Lion’s Mane mushrooms for focus
Lion’s Mane is an ancient mushroom originating in Asia. It is a big, white mushroom that, as the name suggests, resembles a Lion’s Mane. Chinese Buddhist monks stirred Lion’s Mane powder into their tea, using the mushrooms to boost focus during meditation and to improve overall brain power.
Lion’s Mane contains a multitude of important compounds, such as beta-glucans, which are immune-modulating antioxidants and neuro-protective phytonutrients. These mushrooms contain hericenones and erinacines, two special compounds which help stimulate the release of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the brain, which heightens the ability to focus.
Dozens of clinical trials on this nootropic substance have shown that Lion’s Mane supplementation significantly improves multiple measures of cognitive performance, particularly memory retention, recall, and information processing speeds.
The Best Mushrooms for Focus is the (MushroomMaestro) report.
What to look for in Lion’s Mane supplements
Before making Lion’s Mane a part of your daily routine, it’s important to understand how to find a mushroom powder supplement that will be of high enough quality to deliver these brain benefits. There are many supplements on the market of inferior quality that will not provide the bioavailable potency of these mushrooms for focus.
With supplements, it’s very important to look for sourcing and purity. Many brands will add a variety of fillers, and other ingredients that provide no additional health benefits. To produce the most potent, high-value functional mushrooms for focus, extracts must be made from the mushroom fruiting body, rather than mycelium on grain. The best medicinal mushroom products should specify beta-glucan content on their labels.
Functional mushroom products generally contain either the mushroom (fruiting body) or the mycelium (vegetative body). Scientific studies have shown that most of the beneficial bioactive compounds are found in higher concentration in the fruiting bodies rather than mycelium. To reap the benefits of medicinal mushrooms, you really need to know what you’re getting, because not all fungal products are created equal.
Many commercial producers grow mycelium on grain which contains high levels of starch. It may be difficult to distinguish a real mushroom extract made from the fruiting body from one made from mycelium, and not all retailers follow the US Food and Drug Administration requirements for mushroom product labeling.
Consumers need to be informed
If consumers want to benefit from the bio-compounds in Lion’s Mane and other mushrooms, they need to know what to look for when purchasing a mushroom supplement.
Questions consumers should ask:
- Is the Lion’s Mane Supplement made of mushroom or mycelium?
- What is the beta-glucan content of the Lion’s Mane supplement?
- Is the supplement organic and tested for purity?
- How is the Lion’s Mane supplement extracted?
Skye Chilton, the Chief Operating Officer of Real Mushrooms, a premier medicinal mushroom supplier, advises consumers to read the labels. He says, “Read the ingredient list on the mushroom or mycelium product to see which parts the producer used.”
Real Mushrooms has been a leader in educating consumers about medicinal mushrooms by providing them with information and tools they need to identify good versus bad product. Chilton’s father, Jeff, who has been in the mushroom business for over 40 years, published a white paper that included the testing results of 50 different products. Chilton tested for beta-glucan compounds, and he found vast differences between products. Some had very little beta-glucan, while others were almost pure filler. Skye Chilton stresses, “Ensure the product is derived entirely from fruiting bodies. Look for high levels of beta-glucan. Medicinal mushrooms and extracts contain consistently high levels of beta-glucans while mycelium grown on grain has low levels.”
Real Mushrooms’ extracts are pure and organic
Real Mushrooms is a North American supplement company that seeks to break the mold by offering top-quality mushroom supplements made from nutrient-dense mushrooms (fruiting bodies) without grain fillers or carriers. This standout company uses only extracts from the mushroom fruiting body. Chilton says, “We label our products to show exactly what ingredients we include and from what part of the fungi, and we list the percentage of beta-glucans in each serving.” Real Mushrooms also implements stringent quality control measures.
Explosive growth in medicinal mushroom industry.
From 1999 to 2014, the medicinal mushroom industry has seen exponential growth. Sales in 2014 were $18 billion. Almost every company that offers nutritional supplements has at least one mushroom supplement in its product line.
The benefits of medical mushrooms for focus and other cognitive issues are exciting; however, product labeling can be misleading, and consumers need to know that they are buying products that contain ingredients to improve focus and support overall brain health.
Further Reading:
The Guardian: Mushroom magic: why the latest health fad might be on to something
Everyday Health: What Is Lion’s Mane? A Beginner’s Guide to This Mushroom’s Healing Properties
Medical News Today: What are the benefits of lion’s mane mushrooms?
Important Note: The information contained in this article (The Best Mushrooms for Focus) is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements.
