For hundreds of years, the lion's mane mushroom has been treasured throughout China and Japan as a culinary delicacy as well as a functional food, popular for supporting mental wellness and alertness. Known to contain many antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, new research is examining constituents known as erinacines. Erinacines are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and may promote brain and nerve cell health as well as support the central nervous system (CNS).