Disturbed sleep and frequent nocturnal awakenings, help comes from the Poria Cocos mushroom, which relaxes the mind, counteracts anxiety and stress and improves the quality of rest. This emerges from a very recent scientific research that appeared in the journal Nutrients thanks to the work of a team of Korean scientists (Kim et al, Nutrients, 2023).
Poria Cocos mushroom, a help in case of insomnia
Sleep disorders are a problem that affects more than 80% of the population, with cases constantly growing. To understand how to tackle this vast problem, scientists are looking to the natural world. The research we are talking about today has explored the effects of a particular mushroom, the Poria Cocos mushroom. The study is small, in fact it involved only 21 people, average age 55 and with insomnia problems. However, the results are noteworthy. In fact, taking 800 mg of Poria Cocos mushroom extract for two weeks, divided into two daily doses, made it possible to extend sleep duration by at least half an hour. Not only that, nighttime awakenings also decreased significantly, going from an average of 76 minutes spent awake in bed per night to 47 minutes. In general, the study participants observed a clear improvement in the quality of sleep and the first benefits were recorded after 3 days of taking the supplement.
Conclusions
The study, as mentioned, is small and further research will have to be carried out to verify these results in larger samples of the population and following the intake of Poria Cocos extracts for longer periods of time. At the moment, however, we know that taking Poria Cocos extracts after just a few days allows to counteract insomnia, awakenings at night and to lengthen the duration of sleep. It is believed that these properties can be traced back to a substance contained in the Poria Cocos mushroom, called pachymic acid, which, based on previous studies, helps maintain mental balance and promotes the release of serotonin. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter and is capable of relieving states of anxiety, stress and depression and counteracting insomnia. Added to these interesting properties are other benefits of the Poria Cocos mushroom. In particular, the remedy is anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant, as well as capable of improving and increasing cognitive functionality. Poria mushroom extracts are generally considered well tolerated and with few side effects, apart from some gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea in allergic or particularly sensitive people. Since there are no studies on the safety of the supplement during pregnancy and breastfeeding, avoid it in these phases. Ask your doctor for advice if you are taking any medications.
