To enjoy the numerous health benefits of Lion's mane, you must take it consistently for several weeks to several months. If you are serious about the health benefits, daily consumption may not be a big bother. However, the risk of becoming addicted to the mushroom could bother you.
So, is Lion's mane addictive? Can you become dependent on this functional mushroom?
This guide will discuss what we know about Lion's mane addiction, and safety, including answering questions like: does Lion's mane make you high?
So, let's clear the air!
Why Are People Worried About Lion's Mane Addiction?
One of the most appealing aspects of Hericium Erinaceus mushrooms is their ability to enhance cognitive function. Lion's mane is one of the best mushrooms for brain health. The fungus improves memory and treats Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Likewise, recent clinical studies have shown that Lion's mane mushroom also produces significant, measurable improvements in depression, anxiety, and mood disorders symptoms.
When it comes to medications that influence brain health and regulate happiness and mood hormones, there is always a worry about addiction. This is one reason most people worry about Lion's mane addiction.
Moreover, medications associated with improving mental health are often classified in the psychedelic category. This usually has people worried about the Lion's mane's psychedelic effects.
While many benefit from Lion's mane consumption, some people are concerned about the effects of the compounds in Lion's mane extract: Is Lion's mane addictive? Or is Lion's mane psychoactive? Also, is Lion's mane psychedelic? Finally, what happens when you take too much Lion's mane?
Read More: See the best Lion's mane dosage for different conditions, so you do not take too much.
Lion's mane mushroom does not put you at risk of addiction or physical dependence. Also, there are no reports of Lion's mane mushroom psychedelic effects either.
In the following section, we will provide a more profound answer on whether taking Lion's mane for diabetes or other conditions increases your risk of addiction. In addition to helping you figure out whether there are any lion's mane addictive effects, we will help you understand whether Lion's mane psychedelic effects are real by looking at research studies.
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What Do We Know About Lion's Mane Mushrooms Addiction?
Various anti-depressants and anxiolytics are currently available to effectively treat depression and anxiety. However, taking them every day has its own side effects.
For instance, if you stop taking them suddenly after prolonged usage, you may experience unwanted adverse reactions. In addition, it may lead to withdrawal symptoms like low mood, panic attacks, mood changes, anxiety, and agitation.
Lion's mane reduces mild symptoms of both depression and anxiety. In addition, scientific studies(1) have also suggested that Hericium Erinaceus may be considered a potential alternative medicine for the treatment of depression.
Learn More: See how Lion's mane fights depression.
This means that by consuming Lion's mane mushroom extract at an ideal dosage, you may be able to eliminate the symptoms often associated with depression, anxiety, and stress without having to go the pharmaceutical medication route.
Lion's mane mushrooms, unlike popular pharmaceutical drugs, feature zero risk of building a dependency, suffering withdrawal symptoms, or building up a tolerance to their effects.
If you are wondering, "is lions mane psychedelic?" research supports that the mushroom does not produce hallucinations. Therefore, unlike many psychedelic medications, taking Lion's mane for memory loss or mild cognitive impairment does not alter your reality.
Keeping in mind that Hericium Erinaceus mushrooms do not work in the body like anti-depressant and anxiolytic medications, it may not be feasible to suggest Lion's mane addiction.
You can, therefore, use Lion's mane for anxiety and not worry about dependency. In addition, you can stop using Lion's mane abruptly and not have withdrawal effects.
This is as far as chemical dependency goes. Sure, you may build a habit, and we wouldn't blame this exceptional mushroom for it. But this is a habit and not an addiction—therefore, you can stop using Lion's mane whenever you want.
Since the mushroom has several benefits like the ability to fight inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer and the potential to lower blood sugar, pressure, and cholesterol levels, it is only natural to give in to the fungus daily.
Read More: See how Lion's mane facilitates weight loss and fights bad cholesterol.
It is important to note that if you use Lion's mane as a holistic health solution for managing chronic illnesses when you stop using the mushroom, you may experience the symptoms of the chronic disease. However, these symptoms are not withdrawal effects caused by Lion's mane. So, let's take a case of Lion's mane and diabetes.
Lion's mane offers diabetes benefits—it is something people with diabetes can use to regulate their blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a life-long condition that requires daily management—this means that someone with diabetes may prefer enjoying the effects of Lion's mane hericenones daily.
But, the health results from taking Lion's mane extract daily as a person with diabetes do not mean that the product is addictive. On the contrary, the mushroom's ability to lower blood sugar levels exists for as long as the bioactive compounds of the fungus are in the body.
Let's take Lion's mane for ADHD as another example. The mushroom only functions on ADHD patients for as long as they keep using it.
While the mushroom does function in the long term, its effects on the condition may slow down if the ADHD patient stops using this traditional Chinese medicine.
Research shows that some effects of the nootropic fungus are long-lasting. For example, when used daily for several weeks and months, Lion's mane mushroom shows significant improvements in cognitive functioning, which could last for several years after stopping the mushroom use.
However, the beneficial effects may disappear if you stop topping up the mushroom's bioactive compounds in the body.
A word of caution here. Always take Lion's mane after speaking with your wellness expert and at the recommended dose. Seeking professional medical advice is extremely important as it helps you reduce the risk of side effects.
Also, suppose you are taking a different pharmaceutical medication. In that case, a professional should let you know if you should be concerned about Lion's mane drug interactions—a good example would be someone taking blood thinners.
Studies have shown that Lion's mane affects blood clotting. A research study conducted in 2010(2) showed that Hericinone B—a bioactive compound in Lion's mane—has an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation.
Platelets influence blood clotting. Therefore, combining two compounds that affect blood clotting—Lion's mane and blood thinning medications—may not be a good idea. Doing so in an unhealthy dosage could easily result in bleeding.
It is also worth noting that while Lion's mane may boost your overall health, these mushrooms should not be taken as a replacement for your standard pharmacological medications. So, for example, while using Lion's mane extract or powder can help with cancer and diabetes treatment, this does not mean that you can stop using the official medications for these conditions.
Read More: Learn about Lion's mane cancer benefits.
Now on to the next concern, is Lion's mane hallucinogenic? Or does Lion's mane make you high? Read on to find the answers.
Is Lion's Mane Psychedelic Mushroom?
The fact that Lion's mane supplement has so many benefits for brain health always has a lot of people asking, is Lion's mane psychoactive?
Lion's mane is not a psychoactive substance nor a psychedelic fungus.The erinacines, polysaccharides, and other compounds in the mushroom do not make Lion's mane mushroom hallucinogenic.
The mushrooms that can cause a high contain a compound called psilocybin. Absent in Lion's mane, this naturally occurring psychedelic substance can alter your state of mind. Therefore, Lion's mane does not get you high.
When you take Lion's mane for several weeks at a recommended dose, the mushroom Hericium Erinaceus ensures you can think more clearly. Lion's mane eliminates brain fog; however, this does not mean that making it part of your diet is a hallucination risk.
Nature's brain juice or Lion's mane mushroom will not make you hallucinate. Since Lion's mane will not impair your cognitive abilities, you can take these mushrooms during workdays.
Read More: See how taking Lion's mane before bed improves your sleep and mood for a successful workday.
What Happens If You Take Too Much Lion's Mane Mushroom?
There is not much scientific evidence that taking too much Lion's mane every day for multiple years would be safe. However, at the same time, no reports say it is toxic either.
However, animal studies suggest that even when taking a high dosage(3) for a prolonged time, Lion's mane appears to be safe. All experimental studies carried out to date have suggested that Lion's mane is safe.
But those with mushroom allergies, children, pregnant and lactating women, and those taking other medications or supplements should avoid the mushroom.
Read More: Learn more about taking Lion's mane while pregnant.
Does Lion's Mane Have Side Effects?
While Lion's mane has been approved by the food and drug administration as a safe, holistic health solution, the mushroom can cause some side effects.
Some of the side effects associated with the extract of Hericium Erinaceus include:
- Low blood sugar levels
- Issues with blood clotting
- Mild gastro-intestinal discomfort
The good thing about Lion's mane mushroom supplement side effects is that they only appear when you take the mushroom in a higher-than-recommended dosage. Also, these side effects may result from drug interactions.
For example, the mushroom will only cause low blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes if it is taken with anti-diabetic medications—insulin or capsules—at a higher-than-ideal dosage.
The same case applies to blood clotting—the mushroom will only cause bleeding issues if you take it at a higher dosage with blood thinning medications.
If you talk to your doctor before taking this mushroom, you won't have to worry about the side effects of Lion's mane.
FAQs About Lion's Mane Addiction
Does Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom Help With Addiction?
Lion's mane mushrooms contain bioactive substances that benefit the mind and body. These bioactive compounds may help with addiction. However, no research explicitly indicates this.
How Does Lion's Mane Make You Feel?
Lion's mane can help improve your mood as these are known to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The mushroom can also make you focused and clear-headed.
Does Lion's Mane Get You High?
Lion's mane cannot get you high; it lacks the naturally occurring psychedelic compound, psilocybin, common in magical mushrooms. Therefore, there is no risk of you getting a high from consuming Hericium Erinaceus.
Key Takeaways
Lion's mane mushroom is a nootropic fungus that does not get you addicted to it. It is not a psychedelic mushroom that will cause hallucinations or give you a high.
Therefore, you should not worry about Lion's mane addiction as long as you stick to the recommended dose and combine it with a healthy and active lifestyle.
Now that you know that taking Lion's mane won't get you addicted or high, there is no better time to try the beneficial mushroom than right now!
Have you used Lion's mane before? If you have, what benefits did you enjoy? If you haven't, what's keeping you from using the mushroom? Let us know in the comments.
References
- Therapeutic Potential of Hericium erinaceus for Depressive Disorder, (1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982118/
- Inhibitory effect of hericenone B from Hericium erinaceus on collagen-induced platelet aggregation, (2)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20637576/
- Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment, (3)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27816657/
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