Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (<i>Hericium erinaceus</i>) on mild cognitive impairment: a double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial

TLDR

The study evaluated whether daily oral Yamabushitake improves cognitive function in 50‑to‑80‑year‑old adults with mild cognitive impairment, using the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale. In a double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial, 30 participants were randomized to receive 4×250 mg Yamabushitake tablets (96 % dry powder) three times daily for 16 weeks, followed by a 4‑week observation period. Yamabushitake administration produced significantly higher HDS‑R scores at weeks 8, 12, and 16 compared with placebo, with scores rising during intake but declining markedly four weeks after cessation, and no adverse effects were observed, indicating efficacy in mild cognitive impairment. © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract 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 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 Yamabushitake and the other given a placebo. The subjects of the Yamabushitake group took four 250 mg tablets containing 96% of Yamabushitake 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 Yamabushitake group showed significantly increased scores on the cognitive function scale compared with the placebo group. The Yamabushitake 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 Yamabushitake. The results obtained in this study suggest that Yamabushitake is effective in improving mild cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.