Lion's mane and ashwagandha: can you take them together?

Can you take lion's mane and ashwagandha together? Yes: no interaction is known. Here's what each one does, when to take them and who should check first.

Written by
Mustafa K.
Last updated
7 min read
Lion's mane mushrooms on a stump beside an ashwagandha plant, their roots meeting under the soil

Overview

Yes, you can take lion's mane and ashwagandha together. No interaction between them is known, though no trial has tested the pair. Lion's mane is studied mainly for thinking and focus, and ashwagandha for stress hormones and sleep. Avoid both if you're pregnant, and avoid ashwagandha if you have liver disease.

Key points

  • Interaction: none is known between lion's mane and ashwagandha.
  • Evidence: no trial has tested the two together.
  • Lion's mane: studied mainly for thinking and focus.
  • Ashwagandha: studied for cortisol and sleep.
  • Timing: morning suits most people; give it about 8 weeks.

Can you take lion's mane and ashwagandha together?

Yes, you can take lion's mane and ashwagandha together. No interaction between them is known, and they come from very different places: one is a mushroom, the other a herb.

Many people take them as a pair for calm focus during busy weeks. The cautions for each still apply when you take both, and they're covered once, under safety below.

What do lion's mane and ashwagandha do?

They've been studied for different things. Lion's mane research looks mainly at thinking and focus, and ashwagandha research at stress hormones and sleep.

  • Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom used in East Asian cooking and traditional medicine. In a 12-week Japanese trial, 31 adults with an average age of about 61 scored better than the placebo group on 1 of 3 thinking tests [1]. In a UK trial, 41 adults were faster on a focus task an hour after one dose [2].
  • Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a herb used for centuries in Ayurveda. In trials, root extracts lowered cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, and a review of 5 trials found a small improvement in sleep [3, 4].

So the idea is simple: one for a clearer head, one for a calmer one.

What does the research say on each?

The evidence is stronger for ashwagandha than for lion's mane, whose human trials are few and small. Each finding has a label: Strong (several good trials agree), Moderate, Early (one or two small trials) or Mixed (trials disagree).

Key studies on lion's mane and ashwagandha
Study People Dose a day Length Result Evidence
Saitsu 2019, lion's mane [1] 31 adults, average age 61 3.2 g fruiting body 12 weeks Better on 1 of 3 thinking tests Early
Docherty 2023, lion's mane [2] 41 adults aged 18 to 45 1.8 g 1 dose, then 28 days Faster on a focus task after one dose Early
Albalawi 2025, ashwagandha review [3] Up to 7 trials 250 mg or more 2 weeks or more Lower cortisol; felt stress not clearly lower Mixed
Cheah 2021, ashwagandha review [4] 5 trials, 400 adults Various Various Small improvement in sleep Moderate
Zhu 2026, ashwagandha review [5] 20 trials, 1,249 adults Various Various Better memory and attention Early

In the same UK trial, people who took lion's mane for 28 days reported a little less day-to-day stress than the placebo group, though the difference just missed statistical significance [2]. Reviews of lion's mane find mixed results so far, with some better thinking and mood scores and some trials showing no change [6].

When to take lion's mane and ashwagandha

There's no proven best time. Taking them together in the morning, with breakfast, is the simplest routine, and a daily habit is easier to keep.

  • Same time is fine. No study suggests spacing them apart.
  • Evening works too. Some people move ashwagandha to the evening because it can make them drowsy [7].

How long do they take to work?

Give the pair about 8 weeks of daily use. The ashwagandha sleep trials ran for 6 to 12 weeks, with bigger effects from 8 weeks, and the longest lion's mane trials ran for 12 to 16 weeks [4, 6].

Is it safe to take them together?

For most healthy adults, yes. Both are usually well tolerated in trials, and no interaction between them is known. These are the points to know:

  • Stomach upset. Mild stomach upset has been reported with both, so take them with food if it bothers you [6, 7].
  • The liver. Ashwagandha has been linked to rare cases of liver injury, usually 2 to 12 weeks after starting [8, 9]. Lion's mane has no such link [10]. Avoid ashwagandha if you have liver disease.
  • Allergy. Rare allergic reactions to lion's mane have been reported, so avoid the pair if you're allergic to mushrooms [6].
  • Don't take them if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under 18.
  • Ask your GP or pharmacist first if you take medicines for thyroid, diabetes, blood pressure or your immune system, or sedatives [7].

Where Nooroots fits

Nooroots Ashwagandha + Lion's Mane contains both, so you don't need two products. Each daily dose of two caffeine-free capsules gives you 500 mg of lion's mane extract at 30% polysaccharides and 120 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha.

It's made for calm focus on demanding days, as part of a morning routine. Every amount is on the label.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take lion's mane and ashwagandha every day?

Yes. Lion's mane has been given daily for up to 16 weeks in trials [6], and ashwagandha is considered possibly safe for up to 3 months [7]. There's less research on longer use of either.

Can you take lion's mane with ashwagandha and magnesium?

Yes, no interaction between the three is known. See ashwagandha and magnesium: can you take them together?

Can you take them with HRT or other medicines?

We found no research on either one with HRT. Ashwagandha may interact with some medicines, so check with your GP or pharmacist before adding the pair to any regular medicine [7].

Do lion's mane and ashwagandha help you sleep?

Ashwagandha has the better evidence: a review of 5 trials found it improved overall sleep a little more than a placebo [4]. Research on lion's mane and sleep is still early.

Is lion's mane or ashwagandha better for focus?

Lion's mane is the one studied mostly for thinking and focus. Ashwagandha's research centres on stress hormones and sleep, though a 2026 review of 20 trials also found better memory and attention [5].

Read more in our complete guides to lion's mane and ashwagandha, and see nootropic stacks.

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. PMID 31413233. 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. PMID 38004235. doi:10.3390/nu15224842
  3. Albalawi AA (2025). Dual impact of Ashwagandha: significant cortisol reduction but no effects on perceived stress. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition and Health 31(4): 1395–1408. PMID 40746175. doi:10.1177/02601060251363647
  4. Cheah KL et al. (2021). Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 16(9): e0257843. PMID 34559859. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257843
  5. Zhu X et al. (2026). Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on cognitive and physical function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology 17: 1799467. PMID 42199854. doi:10.3389/fphar.2026.1799467
  6. Menon A et al. (2025). Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition 12: 1641246. PMID 40959699. doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1641246
  7. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (updated March 2023). Ashwagandha. nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha
  8. LiverTox (updated 3 December 2024). Ashwagandha. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. PMID 31643854. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548536
  9. Björnsson HK et al. (2020). Ashwagandha-induced liver injury: a case series from Iceland and the US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network. Liver International 40(4): 825–829. PMID 31991029. doi:10.1111/liv.14393
  10. LiverTox (updated 5 January 2024). Lion's Mane. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. PMID 38289992. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK599740

How we research and check our articles

Where Nooroots fits

Ashwagandha & Lions Mane Mushroom - Nootropic Brain Supplement

Made with the ingredients in this guide, at the doses on the label.

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