Written by: Michelle Simpson, Founder, Medshrum

Last updated: 1 September 2026

For decades, scientists believed the adult brain was largely fixed. Today, that view has changed. Modern neuroscience has revealed that the brain has a remarkable ability known as neuroplasticity: the capacity to adapt, reorganise and form new neural connections throughout life.

This discovery has transformed how people think about learning, memory, behaviour, ageing and recovery. It has also opened a fascinating conversation about mushrooms, from functional species such as Lion’s Mane to psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin.

What is neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity, sometimes called brain plasticity or neural plasticity, describes the brain’s capacity to change in response to experience, learning and environment. Every time you learn a skill, form a habit, practise an instrument or adapt to a new situation, your brain is changing.

This process underpins memory, learning, behavioural development, emotional resilience, cognitive flexibility and healthy ageing. It is one of the reasons the human brain remains dynamic long after childhood.

Why are scientists studying mushrooms?

Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal. They belong to their own kingdom and produce unique compounds that researchers are still working to understand. Over the past decade, interest in fungal compounds has expanded across neuroscience, nutrition and psychiatry.

It is important to separate two very different conversations: functional mushrooms and psychedelic mushrooms.

Functional mushrooms and psilocybin are not the same

Psilocybin is a controlled psychedelic compound studied in clinical settings. Lion’s Mane is a legal functional mushroom and does not alter consciousness. The two sit in the same fungal kingdom, but they are not the same type of product, practice or legal category.

Medshrum belongs in the functional mushroom world: daily rituals, food supplements, organic extraction, quality, provenance and careful education.

What recent psilocybin research reveals

Research into psilocybin has explored how the compound may influence brain networks, cognitive flexibility and neural connectivity under controlled conditions. These studies are scientifically important because they reveal how adaptable the adult brain may be.

But this does not translate into everyday supplement claims. Psilocybin is not a food supplement and is not part of the Medshrum range.

Where Lion’s Mane fits

Lion’s Mane has become one of the most discussed functional mushrooms in relation to brain health. Researchers have investigated naturally occurring compounds including hericenones and erinacines because of their potential interaction with pathways associated with nerve growth factor and nervous system function.

This research explains why Lion’s Mane has become culturally linked with focus, learning and the modern morning routine. It is better understood as research context, not a guaranteed cognitive outcome. Medshrum keeps that distinction clear.

Does Lion’s Mane increase neuroplasticity?

Lion’s Mane is being studied for compounds such as hericenones and erinacines, which researchers discuss in relation to nerve growth factor pathways and nervous-system function. That is promising research context, but it is not the same as saying a supplement will increase neuroplasticity or deliver a guaranteed cognitive effect.

The more useful way to think about Lion’s Mane is as a legal, non-psychedelic functional mushroom with a strong place in modern focus culture. It belongs in a daily routine built around sleep, movement, food, work rhythm and consistency, not in a promise of instant transformation.

Why public interest is growing

People are increasingly interested in lifelong learning, brain health, creative work, healthy ageing, resilience and connection with nature. Mushrooms sit at the intersection of all these conversations. They feel ancient and futuristic at once: forest organisms being studied by modern science.

That is why the mushroom conversation has become cultural as well as scientific. Lion’s Mane now appears beside notebooks, design studios, early trains, yoga mats and work rituals because people are looking for cleaner ways to shape their day.

The Medshrum view

At Medshrum, the best mushroom guidance is not the loudest. It holds complexity: tradition, science, law, aesthetics, ritual and care. Lion’s Mane is the morning mushroom in this world because it gives people a simple daily symbol for beginning with intention.

We can be excited by the science without flattening it into overclaiming. We can honour psilocybin research without pretending it belongs in a food supplement bottle. And we can talk about Lion’s Mane with confidence by pointing to the things a person can actually judge: species identity, extraction, organic certification, testing, provenance and whether the ritual fits real life.

How to choose a Lion’s Mane supplement

If Lion’s Mane is the mushroom that brought you here, start with the quality signals. Look for the named species Hericium erinaceus, a clear extract format, visible organic certification where organic is claimed, testing information and a brand that separates research from exaggerated outcomes.

For most people, the best Lion’s Mane supplement is the one that makes the morning ritual effortless. If it is easy to take, clear to understand and built with serious standards, it has a better chance of becoming part of the day rather than another unfinished bottle in a cupboard.

Read the Medshrum guide to choosing the best Lion’s Mane supplement in the UK

Key takeaways

• Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections.
• Functional mushrooms are not psychedelic mushrooms.
• Lion’s Mane does not contain psilocybin.
• Scientists are studying mushroom compounds, but research interest is not a guaranteed supplement effect.
• Quality markers still matter: organic certification, extraction, testing and traceability.
• Medshrum Lion’s Mane belongs to the morning ritual: focus culture, clean starts and daily consistency.

FAQs

Medshrum mushroom products are food supplements, not medicines. This guide is educational and does not make cognitive, neurological or disease-treatment claims. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, speak with a healthcare professional before use.