The key to a healthy diet is a varied and adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, proteins, whole grains and healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil or omega 3 fatty acids present in oily fish, but some foods have especially beneficial properties to prevent or delay cognitive disorders. And that could be the case with certain active compounds present in the lion’s mane mushroom –Hericium erinaceus– which, according to a new study, can help improve memory.
For centuries, extracts of this type of mushroom have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to maintain health and treat different conditions, and for this reason researchers from the University of Queensland (Australia) decided to carry out a scientific study to determine what their effects were on the brain cells.
These experts carried out tests in the laboratory to measure the neurotrophic effects of compounds isolated from Hericium erinaceus in cultured brain cells and identified active compounds that drive neuronal projections, favoring their extension and connection with other neurons, explained Professor Frederic Meunier of Queensland. Brain Institute: “Preclinical tests found that the lion’s mane mushroom had a significant impact on brain cell growth and memory enhancement,” he stated.
The findings have applications to develop therapies to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s
“Using super-resolution microscopy, we found that the mushroom extract and its active components greatly increase the size of growth cones, which are particularly important for brain cells to sense their environment and establish new connections with other neurons in the brain. brain,” he adds.
These findings have been published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, and in the opinion of Dr. Ramón Martínez-Mármol from the University of Queensland and co-author of the study, they have applications to develop therapies to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. “Our idea was to identify bioactive compounds from natural sources that could reach the brain and regulate the growth of neurons, which would result in better memory formation,” concludes Martínez-Mármol.
.
