Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake

Summary & key facts

In a small, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 30 women ate Hericium erinaceus (HE) cookies or placebo cookies for 4 weeks. After HE intake, overall depression scores (CES-D) and scores for vague or indefinite complaints (ICI) were significantly lower than before. Two specific ICI items, written as "insentive" and "palpitatio," were lower in the HE group than in the placebo group. The authors say HE may reduce depression and anxiety, but the findings are preliminary and do not prove cause-and-effect.

Key facts:

• The study included 30 female participants who were randomly assigned to a Hericium erinaceus (HE) group or a placebo group.
• Participants ate HE cookies or placebo cookies for 4 weeks.
• Scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were significantly lower after HE intake compared with before intake.
• Overall scores on the Indefinite Complaints Index (ICI) were significantly lower after HE intake compared with before intake.
• Two specific ICI items, labeled "insentive" and "palpitatio," had mean scores that were significantly lower in the HE group than in the placebo group.
• The items "concentration," "irritating," and "anxious" showed a tendency to be lower in the HE group than placebo, but the abstract describes these only as trends (not clearly statistically significant).
• The authors note the results suggest HE might reduce depression and anxiety and that this effect could involve a mechanism different from the mushroom's reported nerve growth factor (NGF)-enhancing actions.
• Limitations include the small sample size (30 people), short treatment period (4 weeks), and that all participants were female; the authors present the findings as possible effects rather than definitive proof.

Abstract

Hericium erinaceus, a well known edible mushroom, has numerous biological activities. Especially hericenones and erinacines isolated from its fruiting body stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, which expects H. erinaceus to have some effects on brain functions and autonomic nervous system. Herein, we investigated the clinical effects of H. erinaceus on menopause, depression, sleep quality and indefinite complaints, using the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Indefinite Complaints Index (ICI). Thirty females were randomly assigned to either the H. erinaceus (HE) group or the placebo group and took HE cookies or placebo cookies for 4 weeks. Each of the CES-D and the ICI score after the HE intake was significantly lower than that before. In two terms of the ICI, "insentive" and "palpitatio", each of the mean score of the HE group was significantly lower than the placebo group. "Concentration", "irritating" and "anxious" tended to be lower than the placebo group. Our results show that HE intake has the possibility to reduce depression and anxiety and these results suggest a different mechanism from NGF-enhancing action of H. erinaceus.

Topics

Fungal Biology and Applications Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds Pharmacological Effects of Natural Compounds

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Alternative medicine Anxiety Depression (economics) Economics Endocrinology Hericium erinaceus Insomnia Internal medicine Macroeconomics Medicine Pathology Pharmacology Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Placebo Psychiatry Psychology Sleep quality Traditional medicine