Lion's mane: the complete guide

What is lion's mane?

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom with long white spines that look like a mane. It grows on hardwood trees in Europe, Asia and North America. It has been eaten and used in traditional practice in China and Japan for centuries.

Today you can buy it fresh to cook, or as a powder, capsule, extract, liquid or coffee blend. Cooked, it has a mild taste that some compare to crab or lobster.

Researchers are interested in three groups of natural compounds in it:

• Hericenones. Found mainly in the fruiting body, the part of the mushroom you see and eat.
• Erinacines. Found mainly in the mycelium, the root-like threads that grow underneath.
• Polysaccharides. Long chains of sugars, including beta-glucans. Many supplements are standardised to a polysaccharide percentage so each batch is the same.

How is lion's mane thought to work?

Lab and animal studies have looked at how hericenones and erinacines act on nerve cells, including on proteins that help nerve cells grow. That's why lion's mane is often linked to focus and memory.

Those results don't tell us what happens in people. Compounds that act in a dish or in mice may not reach the brain, or work the same way, when you swallow a capsule. That's why the human trials below matter most.

What are the benefits of lion's mane?

Human research is small and early. Most trials had fewer than 50 people and used different products and doses. Each finding has a label: Strong (several good trials agree), Moderate, Early (one or two small trials) or Mixed.

Focus after one dose Early

In a UK trial of 41 healthy adults aged 18 to 45, a single 1.8 g dose of a lion's mane supplement made people faster on a focus task an hour later [2]. In another trial, 18 healthy young adults took a single 3 g dose of a fruiting body extract. Overall thinking and mood scores didn't improve, though one dexterity test did [3].

Memory and thinking over weeks Mixed

• 12 weeks, Japan. 3.2 g a day of fruiting body powder improved scores on one of three memory and thinking tests compared with a placebo [1].
• 28 days, UK. After daily use, most thinking tests showed no difference from the placebo [2].
• 4 weeks, US. 24 college-age adults ate 10 g a day baked into muffins. Thinking tests didn't change [4].
• 28 days, US. 10 healthy adults took 2 g a day. No measure changed, and there was no placebo group [8].

Mood and stress Early

In the 28-day UK trial, people taking lion's mane reported less day-to-day stress than the placebo group. The difference only just missed the usual cut-off for statistical significance, so it's a hint, not a finding [2].

What the reviews say

A 2024 review of 34 studies on mushrooms and the brain found the trials of mushroom supplements, mostly lion's mane, gave mixed results. Some showed better mood and thinking in middle-aged and older adults [7]. A 2025 review found only five randomised trials of lion's mane in people, with mixed designs [5]. Both call for larger, longer trials.

What the research says

How to read a lion's mane label

Labels vary more for lion's mane than for almost any other supplement. Check for three things:

1. Which part. Fruiting body, mycelium or both.
2. Powder or extract. An extract is concentrated, so a smaller amount can carry more of the compounds.
3. A stated strength. A polysaccharide or beta-glucan percentage tells you what you're getting.

The first label may still be a good product, but you can't tell from the label alone.

Fruiting body or mycelium: which is better?

There's no head-to-head research to say one is better. They contain different compounds, and trials have used both:

• Fruiting body. The mushroom itself, richer in hericenones. Trials have used fruiting body powder at 3.2 g a day [1] and a fruiting body extract at 3 g [3].
• Mycelium. The threads underneath, richer in erinacines. Fewer human trials have used it, and none of the healthy-adult trials in the table above.

Whichever you choose, a clear label matters more than the part. Look for the part named, the amount, and a stated strength.

Capsules, powder, coffee or liquid?

• Capsules and tablets. The easiest way to take the same amount every day. Check the part used and the strength.
• Powder. Usually whole fruiting body, closest to the 1 to 3 g used in several trials. You can stir it into food or drinks.
• Coffee and lattes. No trials have tested them. A serving often has much less lion's mane than the research used.
• Liquids and tinctures. Strength varies a lot between brands. Look for a stated amount per dose.

How much lion's mane should you take a day?

There's no agreed dose. Trials of whole fruiting body powder used about 1 to 3 g a day, and extract doses depend on their strength. Follow the dose on your product's label.

How to take lion's mane

• Any time of day. Most people take it in the morning, with or without food. Pick a time you'll stick to.
• Before bed? There are no good sleep trials in healthy people, so there's no reason to choose the evening. It doesn't contain caffeine, unless it's in a coffee blend.
• Give it 8 to 12 weeks. Trials ran from a single dose to 12 weeks, and the single-dose effects were small.

Is lion's mane safe?

Lion's mane is a food mushroom and seems well tolerated. The US LiverTox database finds no link to liver injury [6]. Side effects in trials were mild, mostly stomach discomfort [5].

Rare reactions have been reported. One person had a severe allergic reaction after eating fresh lion's mane [9]. A 63-year-old man in Japan needed intensive care for a serious lung reaction after about 4 months on an extract [10].

• Don't take it if you are allergic to mushrooms, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, as there's no safety research.
• Ask your GP or pharmacist first if you take regular medicines, have a long-term condition or have surgery planned.

How to choose a lion's mane supplement

1. Named part. The label should say fruiting body, mycelium or both.
2. Stated strength. A polysaccharide or beta-glucan percentage, or a whole-powder amount close to the trials.
3. Clear dose. The amount per daily dose, not just per tub.
4. Honest wording. Be wary of any brand that says lion's mane treats or prevents a disease. The research doesn't support that.

Where Nooroots fits

Nooroots Ashwagandha + Lion's Mane gives you 500 mg of lion's mane extract at 30% polysaccharides, with 120 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, in two caffeine-free capsules a day. It's made for calm focus on demanding days.

Every amount is on the label. Read our ashwagandha guide for the other half of the formula.

Frequently asked questions

What is lion's mane good for?

Early trials suggest it may help focus and possibly how stressed people feel, but the research is small and mixed [1, 2].

Is lion's mane safe?

It's an edible mushroom, LiverTox finds no link to liver injury, and trials report mild side effects at most [5, 6]. Avoid it if you're allergic to mushrooms or pregnant.

How long does lion's mane take to work?

Trials lasted from one dose to 12 weeks. Give it 8 to 12 weeks of daily use.

Does lion's mane coffee work?

No trial has tested it. Check how much lion's mane each serving has, as it's often far less than in research.

Is lion's mane a nootropic?

It's often called one. "Nootropic" is a broad word for something said to support thinking or focus. For lion's mane, the human evidence for that is still early and mixed [1, 2].

Can you take lion's mane every day?

Trials gave it daily for up to 12 weeks with mild side effects at most [1, 5]. There's little research on longer use.

Does lion's mane contain caffeine?

No. Lion's mane itself is caffeine-free. Lion's mane coffees and some blends do contain caffeine, so check the label.

Can you take lion's mane and ashwagandha together?

Yes, no interaction is known, though no trial has tested them together.

Related articles: Ashwagandha and Magnesium glycinate.

References

Every study here is listed so you can read it yourself. This guide is for general information and doesn't replace advice from your GP or pharmacist. We review it when new research is published.

1. Saitsu Y et al. (2019). Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical Research 40(4): 125–131. doi:10.2220/biomedres.40.125
2. Docherty S et al. (2023). 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 15(22): 4842. doi:10.3390/nu15224842
3. Surendran G et al. (2025). 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 12: 1405796. doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1405796
4. Grozier CD et al. (2022). Four weeks of Hericium erinaceus supplementation does not impact markers of metabolic flexibility or cognition. International Journal of Exercise Science 15(2): 1366–1380. doi:10.70252/XZKO8571
5. Menon A et al. (2025). Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition 12: 1641246. doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1641246
6. LiverTox (updated 5 January 2024). Lion's Mane. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK599740
7. Cha S et al. (2024). A review of the effects of mushrooms on mood and neurocognitive health across the lifespan. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 158: 105548. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105548
8. Evans et al. (2026). A pilot proof-of-concept study to evaluate the physiological and cognitive impacts of Hericium erinaceus on healthy adults. Nutrients 18(19): 3177. doi:10.3390/nu18193177
9. Watson C et al. (2022). Dangers at the dinner table: a report of anaphylaxis to lion's mane mushroom. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 129: S147 (conference abstract).
10. Nakatsugawa M et al. (2003). Hericium erinaceum (yamabushitake) extract-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome monitored by serum surfactant proteins. Internal Medicine 42(12): 1219–1222. PMID 14714963. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.42.1219