Lion's Mane
Small trials in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease reported higher cognitive test scores with lion's mane. In healthy young adults, single doses did not change overall cognition or mood. Trials were small. Dropouts for stomach upset, nausea and rash were reported in one 49-week trial.
Add to Bio HackChecked 2026-11-09
- Status
- Dietary supplement and food in the US.
- Also called
- Hericium erinaceus, lion's mane mushroom, yamabushitake, hou tou gu, monkey head mushroom, erinacines, hericenones
- Taken for
- memory, focus, cognition, brain health, nerve growth, mood, anxiety, depression
Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on
Shown to help2
- LimitedSmall trials found higher cognition scores than placebo in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's, with scores falling again after stopping.
- LimitedOne trial found depression scores fell from baseline in 30 women over 4 weeks, but most comparisons were not against placebo.
Reported risks1
What people take it for, and what was found
Shown to help2
Cognition in older adults with impairment
Small trials found higher cognition scores than placebo in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's, with scores falling again after stopping.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In 30 Japanese adults aged 50 to 80 with mild cognitive impairment, four 250 mg tablets of 96% dried mushroom powder three times a day for 16 weeks raised scores on the revised Hasegawa dementia scale compared with placebo at weeks 8, 12 and 16. Scores fell again 4 weeks after stopping [1]. In a 12-week trial, MMSE scores improved with fruiting-body supplements while two other memory tests did not differ [2]. In 49 weeks of erinacine A-enriched mycelium in mild Alzheimer's disease, MMSE and daily-living scores were higher than placebo, and placebo CASI scores fell [3]. A systematic review pooling one RCT and one pilot trial reported a weighted mean MMSE increase of 1.17 [4].
- Population
- Older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease [1][2][3][4].
- Sources
- [1], [2], [3], [4]
- Caveats
- Small trials using different preparations. The Alzheimer's trial was supported by Grape King Bio, which paid salaries for five authors and supplied research materials [3].
Mood, depression and anxiety
One trial found depression scores fell from baseline in 30 women over 4 weeks, but most comparisons were not against placebo.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In 30 women given lion's mane cookies or placebo cookies for 4 weeks, depression (CES-D) and indefinite complaint scores fell from baseline in the mushroom group. Two complaint items were lower than placebo, and concentration, irritability and anxiety tended to be lower [7].
- Population
- 30 women [7].
- Sources
- [7]
- Caveats
- One small 4-week trial. Most comparisons were against baseline, not placebo [7].
Not shown to help1
Cognition in healthy young adults
Small trials found no change in overall cognition or mood in healthy young adults, with better results on single tests such as the Stroop.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In 18 adults aged 18 to 35, a single 3 g dose of a 10:1 fruiting-body extract did not change composite cognition or mood scores at 90 minutes, with better performance on one pegboard test [5]. In 41 adults aged 18 to 45, 1.8 g a day gave a faster Stroop time 60 minutes after the first dose (p = 0.005), and 28 days showed a trend toward lower subjective stress (p = 0.051) [6].
- Population
- Healthy young adults [5][6].
- Sources
- [5], [6]
- Caveats
- Pilot-sized trials. The authors of the 28-day trial note null and some negative findings [6].
Claimed, not studied in people1
Nerve regeneration
Not studied in people. Animal studies found rats with crushed leg nerves regained walking function sooner on a lion's mane extract than on no treatment.
No study in people. This rests on animal studies, lab studies.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In rats with a crushed peroneal nerve, a daily oral water extract of fresh lion's mane fruiting bodies brought back hind limb function earlier than no treatment, and axon regrowth and muscle reinnervation were better. Mecobalamin, the positive control, did the same [8]. A 2026 systematic review of 11 animal and cell studies of mushrooms for peripheral nerve injury included 5 on lion's mane and found mushroom treatments promoted nerve repair and functional recovery in animals and Schwann cell migration in cells [9].
- Population
- Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats [8]. Animal and cell studies [9].
- Sources
- [8], [9]
- Caveats
- Rat and cell work only. The review's authors state the approach needs clinical research [9]. No trial in people with nerve injury was located.
Doses studied
Trials used four 250 mg tablets of 96% dried mushroom powder three times a day for 16 weeks [1], three 350 mg capsules a day of mycelium standardized to 5 mg/g erinacine A for 49 weeks [3], a single 3 g dose of 10:1 fruiting-body extract [5], and 1.8 g a day for 28 days [6].
Risks
Reported risks1
Gastrointestinal upset and rash
Limited evidence: in one trial four people dropped out for abdominal discomfort, nausea and rash. Trials were too small to estimate rates.
The numbers and sources
- How common
- How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
- Effect
- In the 49-week mycelium trial, four participants dropped out because of abdominal discomfort, nausea and skin rash, and no other adverse events were reported [3]. In the 16-week trial, laboratory tests showed no adverse effects [1]. A systematic review lists stomach discomfort, headache and allergic reactions as possible side effects that commonly go unreported [4].
- Population
- Older adults in trials [1][3]. Review of trials and a case report [4].
- Sources
- [1], [3], [4]
- Caveats
- Trials were too small to estimate rates.
Possible, not studied in people1
Drug interactions
Not studied in people. In the lab, the lion's mane compound hericenone B blocked collagen-triggered clumping of human and rabbit platelets.
No study in people. This rests on lab studies.
The numbers and sources
- How common
- How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
- Effect
- Hericenone B, isolated from a lion's mane extract, selectively blocked collagen-induced platelet aggregation in washed rabbit platelets and in human platelets, but not aggregation from other triggers [10]. In a lab screen of eight edible mushrooms, a hot water lion's mane extract did not change prothrombin time or INR in human blood [11].
- Population
- Rabbit and human platelets in the lab [10]. Human blood samples in the lab [11].
- Sources
- [10], [11]
- Caveats
- Lab findings only, with an isolated compound at lab concentrations. No study was located that checked lion's mane alongside blood thinners or any other drug in people.
Claims tested and not found
- That a single dose sharpens overall thinking in healthy young adults. Composite cognition and mood did not differ from placebo at 90 minutes [5].
- That lion's mane improves visual memory and paired-word learning. Benton visual retention and verbal paired-associate scores did not improve over 12 weeks, while MMSE did [2].
Sources
- Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, et al. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2634
- Saitsu Y, Nishide A, Kikushima K, et al. Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical Research. 2019. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.40.125
- Li IC, Chang HH, Lin CH, et al. Prevention of Early Alzheimer's Disease by Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Pilot Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2020.00155
- Menon A, Jalal A, Arshad Z, et al. Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1641246
- Surendran G, Saye J, Binti Mohd Jalil S, et al. Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1405796
- Docherty S, Doughty FL, Smith EF. The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224842
- Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R, et al. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical Research. 2010. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.31.231
- Wong KH, Naidu M, David P, et al. Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Following Crush Injury to Rat Peroneal Nerve by Aqueous Extract of Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neq062
- Taib NAB, Eshak ZB, Muhammad HB, Che Ramli MDB. Application of Medicinal Mushrooms for the Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review. Medical Sciences. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14010042
- Mori K, Kikuchi H, Obara Y, et al. Inhibitory effect of hericenone B from Hericium erinaceus on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Phytomedicine. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2010.05.004
- Poniedziałek B, Siwulski M, Wiater A, et al. The Effect of Mushroom Extracts on Human Platelet and Blood Coagulation: In vitro Screening of Eight Edible Species. Nutrients. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11123040