Ingredient Spotlight: Lion’s Mane

Disclaimer: The following information is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. This information should not be read to recommend or endorse any specific products. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 

In recent years, foraging for wild mushrooms has become an activity cherished among nature lovers and wellness enthusiasts alike. Whether it’s the thrill of exploring the outdoors or the desire to connect with organic foods straight from the source, more and more people are heading into forests across North America in search of these fascinating fungi. One of the most prized finds? Lion’s Mane—a striking, shaggy white mushroom.

Despite a long history in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lion’s Mane has only entered the mainstream wellness conversation in the past decade, celebrated for its neuroprotective and brain-boosting abilities.¹ Now, as a staple in the wellness community, you can find it in teas, coffee, tinctures, pills, powders, and more.

Let’s dive into the science behind this powerful medicinal mushroom and just what makes it so sought after.

Lion’s Mane is made up of two parts: the fruiting body (the visible part that grows above ground) and the mycelium (the root-like structure).

The fruiting body contains polysaccharides (complex sugars), specifically a type called beta-glucans. Beta-glucans have been studied to support immune health, as well as normal, healthy cell growth and turnover (i.e., damaged cell replacement).²

Both hericenones and erinacines, two bioactive compounds that are also found in the fruiting body, and mycelium—which, in this comprehensive review, has shown to boost nerve growth factor (NGF) production—support the growth and development of neurons, or nerve cells.³

Until 1986, it was believed that humans stopped producing new brain cells after childhood. Fortunately, research has since proven that this isn’t the case.⁴ The revolutionary Nobel Prize-winning finding? That our brains are capable of neurogenesis—the creation of new neurons—well into adulthood.

Neurogenesis stimulates the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) levels in the brain, a protein that promotes the growth and survival of neurons. NGF is a vital part of learning, memory, and overall cognitive function, and can be stimulated through regular physical activity and as research has uncovered, as does the mighty mushroom that is Lion’s Mane.⁵

Researchers have been studying Lion’s Mane for its rich bioactive compounds (like beta-glucan polysaccharides, hericenones, and erinacines) which have shown to increase NGF production, providing cognitive benefits in memory recall, learning efficiency, and mental clarity.¹

Beyond neurogenesis, regular consumption of Lion’s Mane can help maintain cognitive health as you age. In a clinical trial, adults between the ages of 50 and 80 who took Lion’s Mane daily for 16 weeks experienced significant improvements in cognitive function compared to those who took a placebo.⁶ Their cognitive ability improved the longer they used the supplement, but the effects began to wane once they stopped taking it. All the more reason to make Lion’s Mane a daily habit. 

One of the lesser-known benefits of Lion’s Mane is that it shows promising neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity.¹ Antioxidants protect the brain from oxidative stress caused by an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Over time, oxidative stress can damage neurons and negatively impact your cognitive health. Lion’s Mane was found to help reduce the damage to cellular structures, including lipids, proteins, and DNA.

A recent study found that the ethanolic extract within Lion’s Mane helped protect brain cells from damage caused by oxidative stress.⁷ When neurons were exposed to harmful substances, ethanolic extract reduced harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), boosted antioxidant activity, and improved the function of mitochondria—the cell’s powerhouse. It’s the polysaccharides (primarily beta-glucans) found in Lion’s Mane that exhibit strong antioxidant activity, contributing to its neuroprotective effects. 

In addition to its neuroprotective properties, Lion’s Mane has been linked to increased levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein essential for memory formation.⁸ BDNF is especially important in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, the areas of the brain responsible for learning and storing new information.

By supporting BDNF, Lion’s Mane helps keep neurons healthy and functioning properly, which is crucial for memory retention and recall. In animal studies, mice fed with Lion’s Mane extract showed enhanced memory and increased levels of both BDNF and NGF, highlighting the mushroom’s potential for improving memory and cognitive function.⁹

When choosing a Lion’s Mane supplement, quality matters. Not all supplements are created equal, and the potency of the mushroom can vary significantly depending on how it’s processed.

Both the fruiting body and the mycelium contain beneficial compounds, but the fruiting body tends to have higher concentrations of bioactive compounds like hericenones, while the mycelium is rich in polysaccharides like beta-glucans. High-quality supplements often contain both parts to provide a broad range of benefits (labeled as “full spectrum”) . 

One of the most important factors when choosing a Lion’s Mane supplement is ensuring that it’s standardized for beta-glucans. These are the primary active compounds responsible for Lion’s Mane’s brain-boosting benefits, such as promoting healthy brain function and offering neuroprotection. Look for supplements that verify and guarantee a beta-glucan content of at least 15 percent. Without this verification, the beta-glucan content can vary from batch to batch, potentially reducing the supplement’s effectiveness.

High-quality Lion’s Mane supplements should also be standardized for key compounds like erinacines and hericenones, which are essential for brain cell health. A minimum of 3 percent erinacines and hericenones is a good benchmark to ensure consistency and potency across different batches.

For Lion’s Mane to offer clinical benefits to cognitive function, the dosage should be around 500 mg per day. Finding a concentrated extract of Lion’s Mane will help to make sure you experience the intended benefits.

For more helpful advice on what to look out for when shopping for supplements, check out our guide to reading a supplement label.

1. Spelman, K., Sutherland, E., & Bagade, A. (2017). Neurological activity of Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus). Journal of Restorative Medicine, 6(1), 19-26. https://doi.org/10.14200/jrm.2017.6.0108

2. Vlassopoulou, M., Yannakoulia, M., Pletsa, V., Zervakis, G. I., & Kyriacou, A. (2021). Effects of fungal beta-glucans on health: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Food & Function, 12(28). https://doi.org/10.1039/D1FO00122A

3. Ma, Bing-Ji & Shen, Jin-Wen & Yu, Hai-You & Ruan, Yuan & Wu, Ting-Ting & Zhao, Xu. (2010). Hericenones and erinacines: Stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF) biosynthesis in Hericium erinaceus. Mycology. 1. 92-98. 10.1080/21501201003735556.

4. Eriksson, P. S., Perfilieva, E., Björk-Eriksson, T., Alborn, A. M., Nordborg, C., Peterson, D. A., & Gage, F. H. (1998). Neurogenesis in the adult human hippocampus. Nature medicine, 4(11), 1313–1317. https://doi.org/10.1038/3305

5. Neeper, S. A., Gómez-Pinilla, F., Choi, J., & Cotman, C. W. (1996). Physical activity increases mRNA for brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in rat brain. Brain Research, 726(1–2), 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(96)00273-9

6. Mori, K., Inatomi, S., Ouchi, K., Azumi, Y., & Tuchida, T. (2009). Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 23(3), 367–372. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2634

7. Kushairi, N., Phan, C. W., Sabaratnam, V., David, P., & Naidu, M. (2019). Lion’s mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. suppresses H2O2-induced oxidative damage and LPS-induced inflammation in HT22 hippocampal neurons and BV2 microglia. Antioxidants, 8(8), 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8080261

8. Rupcic, Z., Rascher, M., Kanaki, S., Köster, R. W., Stadler, M., & Wittstein, K. (2018). Two New Cyathane Diterpenoids from Mycelial Cultures of the Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus and the Rare Species, Hericium flagellum. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(3), 740. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030740

9. Martínez-Mármol, R., Chai, Y., Conroy, J. N., Khan, Z., Hong, S.-M., Kim, S. B., Gormal, R. S., Lee, D. H., Lee, J. K., Coulson, E. J., & Lee, M. K. (2023). Hericerin derivatives activate a pan-neurotrophic pathway in central hippocampal neurons converging to ERK1/2 signaling enhancing spatial memory. Journal of Neurochemistry, 165(6), 791-808. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15767

Figure 2: Szućko-Kociuba, I., Trzeciak-Ryczek, A., Kupnicka, P., & Chlubek, D. (2023). Neurotrophic and Neuroprotective Effects of Hericium erinaceus. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(21), 15960.