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Mushroom Foraging: Lions Mane

Lions mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a tooth fungus of the family Hericiaceae. A prime edible species, it is found in temperate climates across much of North America and Eurasia. They feed predominately on decaying wood and can be easily cultivated on sawdust, with kits available online from many sources.

I found this one on an oak tree where I hunt in the Southern United States, and since they’re as close to completely safe as a wild mushroom can be, I decided to treat my folks to one of my favorite wild edibles. This one was frankly enormous, so there was plenty to share.

We’re gunna need a bigger pan.

In seriousness, this one probably weighed something along the lines of 10 pounds, but that was largely because it had been raining all day and these things are like sponges. Unfortunately, despite looking pretty decent, it was on the edge of edibility, with the core having already softened and gone yellow.

Luckily, the toothed exterior (the best part for eating as far as texture goes) was still fine, and I was able to get a very respectable portion of the stuff.

This species is known for cooking down to a texture and flavor not dissimilar to seafood like crab or lobster, and is quite nutritious. I sauteed this one in butter, and seasoned it with some herbs, cayenne, and salt and pepper.

It was supremely delicious, with a side of roasted potatoes and salad and some shrimps. Dipped in cocktail sauce it really is remarkably similar to a bite of crab.

Foraging note: All members of the genus Hericium, in North America at least, are safe edible species. But once they begin yellowing and producing spores they can cause stomach upset, so be cautious. There are no dangerous look alikes of this species, which makes it one of the safest mushrooms to forage. That said, you should always be cautious when harvesting wild edibles, both ensuring that what you are taking is identified correctly, and that it is not contaminated by pesticides/herbicides/other environmental toxins. Also take care to not overharvest wild sources, and to not damage the habitat as you go.

#nature #foraging #lions mane #lion’s mane

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giant Lions Mane mushrooms found in the forest

#lions mane

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Study Shows Lion’s Mane Restores Physical Performance in Aged Mice

Italian researchers find that treating aged mice with Lion’s Mane (H. Erinaceus primordium) extract boosts physical performance and improves neural oxidative stress.

Key Points:

Aging mice supplemented with Lion’s mane mushrooms (He2) display significantly better physical performance.

In the brains of aged mice, He2 reduces oxidative stress — cellular damage caused by excessive reactive oxygen species.

The observed findings are likely attributable to ergothioneine (ERGO), a powerful antioxidant found in He2 at high concentrations.  

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Searching for a Longevity Food, We Bump into Hericium erinaceus Primordium Rich in Ergothioneine: The “Longevity Vitamin” Improves Locomotor Performances during Aging

Abstract

Phenotypic frailty is characterized by a progressive decline in physical functioning. During ageing, morphological and functional alterations involve the brain, and chief theories involve oxidative stress, free radical accumulation, and reduced antioxidant defenses as the most implicated mechanisms. From boosting the immune system to fighting senescence, medicinal mushrooms have been found to have a number of health and longevity benefits. Among them, Hericium erinaceus (He) has been demonstrated to display a variety of physiological effects, including anti-aging properties. Thus, He represents an attractive natural source for developing novel medicines and functional foods, based on the identification of its active ingredients and metabolites. Particularly, H. erinaceus primordium (He2) extract contains a high amount of Ergothioneine (ERGO), the longevity vitamin. Herein, we revealed the preventive effect of ERGO-rich He2 extract in a preclinical model, focusing on locomotor decline during ageing monitored through spontaneous behavioral test. This effect was accompanied by a significant decrease in some oxidative stress markers (NOS2, COX2) paralleled by an increase in P53, showed in cerebellar cortex cells and fibres by immunohistochemistry. In summary, we demonstrated the neuro-protective and preventive effects of He2 extract during aging, probably due to its peculiarly high ERGO content.

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“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act in conformity with natural law. Fortunately, it is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions… Ideology—that is what gives the evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination.”

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956

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Filamentous actin and microtubules (structural proteins) in mouse fibroblasts (cells) by Dr. Torsten Wittmann

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Neurons in cerebral cortex of a six day old rat by Brad Miller

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Flower embryo by Samuel Silberman

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A lotus seed pod

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“The changing of bodies into light, and light into bodies, is very conformable to the course of Nature, which seems delighted with transmutations.”

— Isaac Newton (via didanawisgi)

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"I no longer believed in the known God of the Bible, but rather in the mysterious God expressed in nature." - Albert Einstein

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‘1001 Nights’ (1998) dir. Mike Smith, art: Yoshitaka Amano

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KEATS - Viral Times Instrumental (HUNTER X HUNTER Trap Remix)