When to take lion's mane, how much and for how long
The doses, timings and lengths used in lion's mane trials, how much is too much, whether food matters, and who should check first.
- Written by
- Amy D.
- Last updated
- Reading time
- 8 min read
Overview
There's no best time to take lion's mane. No study has compared morning with evening, so take it when you'll remember. Trials mostly gave about 2 to 3 g of dried lion's mane a day, and differences from a placebo showed after 8 to 16 weeks. Extracts are stronger, so follow the label.
Key points
- No study has compared times of day, so take it whenever suits you.
- Trials mostly gave about 2 to 3 g of dried lion's mane a day.
- Extracts are concentrated, so follow the dose on the label.
- Differences from a placebo showed after 8 to 16 weeks of daily use.
- No study has tested lion's mane with medicines, so ask your GP or pharmacist first.
When should you take lion's mane?
Morning coffee, a lunch break or winding down after the gym? Whenever suits you is the honest answer. No study has compared morning with evening, so there's no proven best time. Pick a time you'll remember each day.
The trials took different approaches. In a UK trial, people took 3 capsules every morning after breakfast [1]. A Japanese trial split the dose into 3 a day [2], and another let people eat lion's mane cookies at any time of day [3].
How much lion's mane per day?
There's no agreed dose. Most trials gave about 2 to 3 g a day of dried lion's mane, as capsules, tablets or baked into food [1][2][3][4][5].
| Study | People | Dose a day | How and when | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docherty 2023 [1] | 41 adults aged 18 to 45 | 1.8 g | Capsules every morning after breakfast | 4 weeks |
| Nagano 2010 [3] | 30 women, average age 41 | 2 g | Cookies at any time of day | 4 weeks |
| Daoust 2026, not yet peer reviewed [4] | 109 adults aged 40 to 75 | 2 g | Capsules, time not stated | 8 weeks |
| Mori 2009 [2] | 30 adults aged 50 to 80 with mild memory problems | 3 g | Tablets 3 times a day | 16 weeks |
| Saitsu 2019 [5] | 31 healthy adults over 50 | 3.2 g | Powder, time not stated | 12 weeks |
| Surendran 2025 [6] | 18 adults aged 18 to 35 | 3 g of extract, once | In a drink at 9 am, after breakfast | One dose |
| Grozier 2022 [7] | 24 young adults | 10 g | Baked into muffins | 4 weeks |
Extracts are concentrated, so their dose is smaller. A 10:1 extract is made from about 10 g of dried mushroom for every 1 g of extract, which is how Canada counts extract doses [8]. Follow the dose on your product's label.
How much lion's mane is too much?
No UK upper limit has been set. The highest amount tested was 10 g a day baked into muffins, in a 4-week trial of 24 young adults, with no problems reported Early [7].
Canada is the only country we found with official limits. Licensed supplements there may provide up to 2.8 g of dried lion's mane a day as a powder, or water extracts made from up to 12 g of dried mushroom [8]. These are licensing rules for Canadian products, not a safety limit. Stick to the label, and don't take several lion's mane products at once.
How long does lion's mane take to work?
Think slow cooker, not microwave. Give it 8 to 12 weeks of daily use. In the longer trials, differences from a placebo showed up after 8 to 16 weeks Early [5][2][4].
In a 12-week trial of 31 healthy adults over 50, scores on a memory and thinking test changed more than with a placebo [5]. In a trial of people aged 50 to 80 with mild memory problems, scores were higher than with a placebo at 8, 12 and 16 weeks [2]. An 8-week trial of 109 adults aged 40 to 75, not yet peer reviewed, found one attention task improved more than with a placebo [4].
Effects within hours are less clear Mixed. One dose made young adults slightly faster on an attention task an hour later, but worse at recalling words [1]. In another trial, a single 3 g dose of extract made no overall difference 90 minutes later [6]. So don't expect to feel a difference on the first day.
Can you take lion's mane every day?
Yes. The longer trials gave it daily for up to 16 weeks, and side effects were mild at most [2][9]. Canada's rules set no time limit on use [8].
No study has tested taking breaks. In one trial, scores fell back within 4 weeks of stopping [2].
Should you take lion's mane with food?
Either is fine, as far as anyone knows. No study has compared taking it with and without food, and Canada's rules give no food direction for lion's mane [8].
Most trials gave it after a meal or baked into food such as cookies and muffins [1][3][7]. If it upsets your stomach, take it with a meal.
What's the best way to take lion's mane?
Take the form you'll use every day. The trials mostly used dried lion's mane in capsules, tablets or food, and one used an extract in a drink [6].
- Capsules. The easiest way to get the same amount each day.
- Powder. Stir it into porridge, a smoothie or a hot drink. No study has tested what heat does to the compounds studied for the brain.
- Extracts. Stronger per gram, so the dose is smaller. Check the strength, such as 10:1, on the label.
Our lion's mane guide explains what else to look for on the label.
Can you take lion's mane with medicines?
No interactions have been found, but none have been studied in people. No study has looked at lion's mane with any medicine, including antidepressants such as sertraline, and the US LiverTox database records no interactions [9].
If you take regular medicines, ask your GP or pharmacist before adding lion's mane.
Who should not take lion's mane?
Most healthy adults can take it. Side effects in trials were mild stomach upsets, such as discomfort, nausea or diarrhoea, usually in fewer than 1 in 10 people [9]. LiverTox rates it an unlikely cause of liver injury [9].
- Mushroom allergy. Don't take it. Allergic reactions to lion's mane are rare but have been reported [9].
- Pregnant or breastfeeding. Don't take it, as there's no safety research. Canada's rules ask anyone in this position to check with a health professional first [8].
Where Nooroots fits
Nooroots Ashwagandha + Lion's Mane gives you 500 mg of lion's mane extract, standardised to 30% polysaccharides, with 120 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, in two caffeine-free capsules a day. It's made for calm focus and calm resilience on demanding days, taken together in the morning with a drink.
Every amount is on the label. Read our ashwagandha guide for the other half of the formula.
Frequently asked questions
How long does lion's mane stay in your system?
Nobody has measured it in people. In rats, one compound from lion's mane mycelium peaked in the blood about 4.5 hours after a dose, and half of it had cleared after about 7 hours [10].
Can you take lion's mane at night?
Yes. Lion's mane has no caffeine, unless it's in a coffee blend, and one trial let people take it at any time of day [3].
Can you put lion's mane in coffee?
You can. No study has tested what brewing does to lion's mane's compounds, and the coffee adds caffeine.
How many drops of lion's mane should you take?
Follow the label. No trial has used a liquid tincture, so there's no research dose in drops.
Can you overdose on lion's mane?
No overdose has been reported. The highest amount tested, 10 g a day for 4 weeks, caused no reported problems [7].
Can you take lion's mane with ashwagandha?
Yes. No interaction is known, though no trial has tested the two together. See our guide to lion's mane and ashwagandha.
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.
- 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
- Mori K et al. (2009). Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research 23(3): 367–372. PMID 18844328. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634
- Nagano M et al. (2010). Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical Research 31(4): 231–237. PMID 20834180. doi:10.2220/biomedres.31.231
- Daoust J et al. (2026). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the impact of Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane) on cognitive performance and subjective wellbeing. medRxiv (preprint, not yet peer reviewed). doi:10.64898/2026.04.13.26350781
- 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
- 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. PMID 40276537. doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1405796
- 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. PMID 36582308. doi:10.70252/XZKO8571
- Health Canada (31 October 2025). Mushrooms. Natural Health Products Ingredients Database monograph. Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca
- LiverTox (updated 5 January 2024). Lion's mane. LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury. US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. PMID 38289992. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK599740
- Hu JH et al. (2019). Absolute bioavailability, tissue distribution, and excretion of erinacine S in Hericium erinaceus mycelia. Molecules 24(8): 1624. PMID 31022946. doi:10.3390/molecules24081624
