Study: Lion’s Mane Benefits Gut-Brain Connection in Aging
A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences examined how Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) affects the connection between gut health, brain inflammation, aging, and cognitive function in elderly mice.
**Study Design**
Researchers administered Lion’s Mane extract to elderly mice and measured cognitive performance, inflammation markers in both the gut and brain, and changes to the gut microbiome composition.
**Key Findings**
Lion’s Mane extract improved cognitive performance in elderly mice while simultaneously reducing inflammation in both the gut and brain. The researchers proposed a “gut-neuroinflammaging-cognitive axis” that Lion’s Mane positively influences.
**The Aging Connection**
Chronic low-grade inflammation, sometimes called “inflammaging,” is a hallmark of aging. Compounds that reduce this systemic inflammation may have broad anti-aging benefits beyond just cognitive function. The gut-brain connection appears central to this process.
**Limitations to Consider**
This was an animal study, so direct translation to humans requires caution. However, it supports the growing scientific understanding that gut health and brain health are deeply connected, and that Lion’s Mane may benefit both systems simultaneously.
**Citation**
Roda, E., et al. (2021). Hericium erinaceus Extract Exerts Beneficial Effects on Gut-Neuroinflammaging-Cognitive Axis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(8), 3977.