Nonprofits Team Up in the Battle Against Epilepsy in Children
Beginning in January 2024, natural medicine research nonprofits Realm of Caring, Unlimited Sciences and Lily's Lighthouse will collaborate to collect data for an observational study on the efficacy of functional mushrooms in treating epilepsy.
Lily's Lighthouse was founded in 2021 by Sarah-Kate Boylan, a mother seeking relief for her child, Lily, who was suffering from chronic seizures. After seven years of ineffective treatment, Sarah-Kate found preliminary research suggesting functional mushrooms could help Lily with her intractable epilepsy. With continuous use of functional mushrooms alongside anti-seizure medication, Lily went from having an average of 50 seizures a day to roughly one every few months.
Certain species of fungi have therapeutic and medicinal properties beyond their nutritional value. These edible mushrooms, also called functional mushrooms, offer a range of health benefits and have been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years. The upcoming study will focus on the anticonvulsant properties of Reishi mushrooms and the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of Lion's Mane mushrooms.
"There is an urgent need for principled research focusing on the effectiveness of medicinal mushrooms and their potential to improve quality of life for people living with epilepsy," said Sarah-Kate Boylan, Chief Executive Director of Lily's Lighthouse. "Through this collaboration, we hope to publish outcomes of a retrospective study for the treatment of epilepsy. We plan to further our research campaign to prove efficacy that will eventually result in a mushroom therapeutic for the treatment of epilepsy."
While there are various studies on the effects of functional mushrooms in animals, there are few human studies to support the use of functional mushrooms as an alternative treatment strategy?an issue the study seeks to address. Matthew X. Lowe, Ph.D., Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of Unlimited Sciences, and the Research Director of the Realm of Caring Foundation, will lead the study.
"Functional mushrooms such as lion's mane and reishi have long been recognized for their medicinal properties, but only recently have we begun to better understand their unique therapeutic potential," said Lowe. "At Realm of Caring and Unlimited Sciences, our common goal is to continue to lead high-impact and innovative research that may increase access to life-changing therapies, such as Realm of Caring's work with CBD as an epilepsy therapeutic. Our hope is that our collaboration with Lily's Lighthouse will provide real-world data to identify health outcomes of functional mushroom use in patients with epilepsy."
To register for the study and learn more, please visit unlimitedsciences.org/functionalmushrooms.
About Realm of Caring
Through research and education, Realm of Caring (RoC) is facilitating the mainstream acceptance of cannabinoid-based therapies and building an empowered community. RoC is committed to research into novel healthcare options to improve quality of life. The organization leverages a deep bench of experience and leads with compassion to provide trusted resources, create support and build community for all who seek it. The 501(c)(3) high-impact independent public charitable organization has served tens of thousands of families and healthcare professionals since its inception in 2013.
About Unlimited Sciences
Unlimited Sciences is a psychedelic research nonprofit that uses the power of data to serve the community, educate the public, and inform common-sense practices and policies regarding psychedelic use. At Unlimited Sciences, we are focused on driving psychedelic research forward, and our goal is to capture observational data in real-world settings and share these results with the public. Together, with the power of US, we can mitigate harm and reduce stigma through education.
About Lily's Lighthouse
Lily's Lighthouse transforms the lives of children living with epilepsy by funding research that bridges the gap between traditional and non traditional treatments for epilepsy. Based out of San Clemente, California, the 501(c)(3) qualified non-profit supports the advancement of safe, evidence-based therapeutics to improve health and wellbeing for all of those suffering from epilepsy.
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