[#2009-04] Improving Effects of the Mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial, Koichiro Mori et al.

Improving Effects of the Mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

Koichiro Mori¹*, Satoshi Inatomi¹, Kenzi Ouchi¹, Yoshihito Azumi¹ and Takashi Tuchida²

¹Mushroom Laboratory, Hokuto Corporation, 800-8, Shimokomazawa, Nagano ²Isogo Central and Neurosurgical Hospital, , Yokohama,  Japan

 

A double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 50- to 80-year-old Japanese men and women diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in order to examine the efficacy of oral administration of Lion’s Mane mushroom or Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus), an edible mushroom, for improving cognitive impairment, using a cognitive function scale based on the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R). After 2 weeks of preliminary examination, 30 subjects were randomized into two 15-person groups, one of which was given Lion’s Mane mushroom and the other given a placebo. The subjects of the Lion’s mane mushroom group took four 250 mg tablets containing 96% of Lion’s Mane mushroom dry powder three times a day for 16 weeks. After termination of the intake, the subjects were observed for the next 4 weeks. At weeks 8, 12 and 16 of the trial, the Lion’s Mane mushroom group showed significantly increased scores on the cognitive function scale compared with the placebo group. The Lion’s Mane mushroom group’s scores increased with the duration of intake, but at week 4 after the termination of the 16 weeks intake, the scores decreased significantly. Laboratory tests showed no adverse effect of Lion’s Mane mushroom. The results obtained in this study suggest that Lion’s Mane mushroom is effective in improving mild cognitive impairment.