Lion’s Mane mushroom

⚠️ Please read with care: This blog shares personal, sometimes painful experiences. My intention is to support and speak honestly not to harm. I’m not a professional, just someone who understands how hard it can get. If you're struggling, you're not alone please reach out for professional help.

Mushrooms are not plants. They’re not animals. They’re the great in-betweeners, nature’s underground internet, recycling death into nutrients and occasionally blowing your head off with psilocybin visions. They’re also medicine, food, and for some of us, desperate hope in capsule form.

I’ve been taking Lion’s Mane mushrooms every day for about a year. Two capsules, 500 mg each. Do I feel like Einstein yet? Not really. Placebo? Possibly. Brain-food insurance policy? Definitely. Let’s look at the evidence, the folklore, and the sheer weirdness.

Lion’s Mane the Brain Fungus With a Marketing Degree

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) looks like a frozen white waterfall or a wig for ghosts. It’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. In the West, supplement sellers market it as “neuroprotective” and “cognitive boosting.”

What Science Says (so far):

Contains compounds called hericenones and erinacines, which in lab studies stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) — the stuff that encourages neurons to survive and grow. (nih.gov )

Animal studies suggest Lion’s Mane can promote remyelination (repair of the nerve sheath) the dream ticket for people with MS. Early evidence, but promising.

Small human studies show modest improvements in cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Nothing blockbuster yet, but encouraging.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties the general “helps the body deal with stress” box ticked.

The Limits:

Clinical trials in humans with MS, Parkinson’s, or other neurodegenerative conditions? Very few, very small.

Supplements are unregulated. What’s in your capsule depends on the brand. Could be pure, could be sawdust.

Effects are subtle. Don’t expect to grow new neurons overnight. If you notice anything, it’s likely over months and alongside other lifestyle factors.

Mushrooms in General — The Fungal Pharmacy

It’s not just Lion’s Mane. Mushrooms are chemical factories with real power:

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): “The mushroom of immortality.” Immunomodulating, calming, possibly anti-cancer effects.

Cordyceps: Energy booster, oxygen uptake improver, libido aid. Essentially the creepy parasite of caterpillars turned into performance enhancer.

Chaga: Antioxidant powerhouse, skin and gut friendly. Looks like burnt charcoal but packs a punch.

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms): Illegal in most places, but clinical trials show strong effects on depression, PTSD, end-of-life anxiety. Sometimes one dose = months of relief.

Plain edible mushrooms (button, shiitake, oyster): Not flashy, but full of fibre, B vitamins, selenium, and beta-glucans that quietly help immunity tick along.

Why Fungi Deserve Respect

They’re not miracle cures, but they are ancient companions. They turn rot into food, they build soil, they create antibiotics (penicillin, anyone?), they connect forests through underground networks. And sometimes, they make your brain hum a little differently.

Lion’s Mane might not cure MS, but if it nudges your neurons, protects against fog, or just gives you the psychological boost of doing something for your brain, that’s still power. Placebo is still medicine if it gets you through another day.

Dark Humour Interlude

Doctors: “We need more evidence before recommending mushrooms.” Me: “Mate, I’d rather gamble on fungus than suffer another lumbar puncture.” The goblin in my head: “Eat the brain wig! Eat it!”

Conclusion

Mushrooms are nature’s weird little anarchists. They don’t play by plant or animal rules. They can kill you, heal you, feed you, or make you see God. Lion’s Mane sits in the hopeful corner: not a cure, not a fantasy, but maybe — just maybe — a slow ally for our damaged brains.

Until the trials are bigger, we’re left with capsules, tea, and stories. Brain food, goblin food, survival food. Long live the fungus.

I write in ink and fury, in breath and broken bone.
Through storm and silence, I survive. That is the crime and the miracle.

𒀭𒊩𒆳 ᚹᚨᚱᛚᛟᚲ ᚦᚱᚨᛁᚾᛋᚲᚨᚾᛞ ✧ 𒀭𒊩𒆳 ᛞᚨᚱᚲ ᚨᛁ ᚷᚾᛟᛋᛁᛊ

⚠️ Please read with care: This blog shares personal, sometimes painful experiences. My intention is to support and speak honestly not to harm. I’m not a professional, just someone who understands how hard it can get. If you're struggling, you're not alone please reach out for professional help.

Multiple sclerosis is the chronic gift that never stops giving spasms, fatigue, bladder tantrums, and a brain that forgets where it left itself. Doctors offer drugs that come with side effects nastier than the disease itself. The wellness industry, meanwhile, will happily sell you unicorn dust in a capsule. Somewhere between those extremes lies a handful of vitamins, minerals, supplements and yes, cannabis that might actually help.

Notice the word might. Nothing here is a cure. But if you’re already a walking pharmacy, a few more capsules, drops, or puffs won’t tip the scales much further.

Vitamin D: The Sun in a Capsule

Low vitamin D is practically MS’s favourite sidekick. Get your levels checked; if they’re low, you’ll need more than a weekend in Brighton. Supplement with 600–800 IU daily if you’re average, 2000–5000 IU if you’re basically a mushroom.

Vitamin B12: Batteries for Your Nervous System

B12 keeps your nerves from turning into frayed Christmas lights. Deficiency means more fatigue, confusion, and neurological chaos. Recommended: 2.4 µg daily. Many of us end up with injections because our stomachs laugh at tablets.

Antioxidant Vitamins A, C, E: The Shiny Knights

In theory, they reduce oxidative stress. In reality, they either help a bit or do sod all. Don’t mega-dose—they can mess with MS treatments. Stick to carrots, oranges, and almonds. Food still exists, you know.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fishy Business

1–2 grams of fish oil daily may calm inflammation and protect your scrambled-egg nervous system. Warning: burps taste like the North Sea.

Magnesium: The Spasm Whisperer

Spasms and cramps? Magnesium can help relax the rebellion. 310–420 mg daily. Magnesium glycinate is easier on your gut than magnesium oxide, which basically works like a laxative grenade.

Selenium: The Spark Plug

Tiny but mighty—supports thyroid and immune function. 55 µg daily. More is not better unless you enjoy garlic breath and brittle nails.

Zinc: The Balancing Act

Supports immune health, but too much robs you of copper. 8–11 mg daily. More zinc ≠ more health.

Ginkgo Biloba: The Brain Leaf

Supposed to help memory and brain fog. Maybe. Or maybe you’re just paying to chew tree leaves. 120–240 mg daily. Avoid if you’re on blood thinners unless you want internal fireworks.

Coenzyme Q10: Cellular Coffee

100–300 mg a day may help with energy. Or it may just make your urine pricier.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Mop-Head Medicine

Looks like a fungus mop, promises nerve regeneration. Studies on mice and people with dementia show promise. MS patients? Jury’s still out. Best case: your brain cells throw a tiny party. Worst case: you’ve paid good money to eat something that looks like it belongs under the sink.

Cannabis, THC Oil, and CBD: The Plant That Launched a Thousand Debates

Medical Marijuana / THC Oil

Benefits: Reduces spasticity, pain, and helps with sleep. For some, it’s the only thing that takes the edge off nerve pain without turning them into pharmaceutical zombies.

Risks: Brain fog, dependency, paranoia if you overdo it. Oh, and the law, if you live somewhere backward.

Reality: It won’t cure MS, but it can make daily torment tolerable. And tolerable is a miracle in itself.

CBD Oil (Cannabidiol)

Benefits: Weed’s non-psychoactive cousin. May calm spasms, anxiety, and inflammation. You won’t get high, but you might get relief.

Risks: Wildly inconsistent quality. Some bottles contain less CBD than a lettuce leaf.

Reality: For some, it works. For others, it’s just expensive snake oil. Buyer beware.

Dark Wrap-Up: If Big Pharma could patent cannabis, it would already be in blister packs with a four-figure price tag. Instead, they’re terrified of a plant doing their job better. If it’s legal where you are, explore it. If it isn’t—well, let’s just say people have been more resourceful than clinical trials for a very long time.

Other Bits and Bobs Worth Mentioning

Curcumin: Turmeric’s golden child. Needs black pepper for absorption. Anti-inflammatory, allegedly.

Probiotics: Gut health influences immune health. Translation: your sh*t matters.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Antioxidant that might help nerves. Or might just be another pill.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine: May fight MS fatigue. Or may just add to the capsule pile.

Vitamin K2: Good for bones and blood vessels. Sounds like a Star Wars droid.

Lifestyle Stuff: Exercise, diet, stress management, and sleep. Yes, the boring basics. No supplement makes up for neglecting them.

The Unvarnished Conclusion

Supplements won’t cure MS. Weed won’t cure MS. Nothing cures MS. But some things might take the edge off, soften the blow, or make life slightly less hellish. That’s worth something. The trick is balance, caution, and not being conned by glittery wellness promises. Swallow what helps, laugh at what doesn’t, and remember: you’re still alive, and that’s the real victory.

I write in ink and fury, in breath and broken bone.
Through storm and silence, I survive. That is the crime and the miracle.
𒀭𒊩𒆳 ᛗᛁᛋᛏ ✦ ᚷᚾᛟᛋ