Lion's Mane Benefits: What the Research Actually Shows

4 min read By Mataye

In brief

Lion's mane is studied for memory, focus and mood, but human trials are few and small. What each study found, side effects, dose and how to take it.

Lion's Mane Benefits: What the Research Actually Shows

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is studied mainly for memory, focus, mood and stress. In the lab its compounds affect nerve growth factor, which is why interest is high. In people, the evidence comes from a small number of short trials with mixed results: some found modest improvements, others found none. No health claims are authorised for lion's mane in the UK. Here is what the studies show, claim by claim.

The short answer

  • Memory and thinking: small trials, mostly in older adults or people with mild cognitive impairment, with some positive results.
  • Focus in healthy adults: one small pilot found faster performance on one task an hour after a dose.
  • Stress and mood: small studies report reductions in stress or low mood; not confirmed in larger trials.
  • Everything else (gut, immunity, nerve repair, blood sugar): lab and animal studies only.

Evidence by claim

Claim What has been studied Strength in people
Memory, mild cognitive impairment Small trials in older adults Limited, some positive
Focus and speed in healthy adults One pilot trial, 41 adults Very limited
Stress and mood Small trials, including menopausal women and young adults Limited
Nerve growth and repair Cells and animals None in people
Gut and immune health Animals None in people
Cancer Lab and animal studies None in people (Memorial Sloan Kettering)

Lion's mane for memory and focus

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center describes the human data as limited. The small studies suggest lion's mane may improve memory and mood in overweight people, mild cognitive impairment, thinking in older adults, and mood in menopausal women.

The most useful study for healthy people is a 2023 pilot trial from Northumbria University: 41 adults aged 18 to 45 took 1.8 g of lion's mane or a placebo. An hour after a single dose, the lion's mane group was faster on one attention test (the Stroop task). After 28 days there was a trend towards lower reported stress, but it did not reach statistical significance, and several other tests showed no difference. The authors call the findings tentative because of the small sample.

Lion's mane for stress, anxiety and mood

A few small studies report lower stress or low mood after several weeks. They are short and small, so treat them as early signals rather than proof. Lion's mane is not a treatment for anxiety or depression; speak to your GP if you are struggling.

How long does lion's mane take to work?

There is no established answer. Studies have measured effects from one hour after a dose to several weeks of daily use, with most looking at four weeks or more. If you notice nothing after a month or two, it may simply not do much for you.

How much lion's mane?

Doses in studies range from a few hundred milligrams of extract to about 3 g of dried mushroom a day, so products are hard to compare. Check the milligrams per serving and whether it is fruiting body or mycelium. Mataye Mushroom Coffee has 700 mg of lion's mane fruiting body per cup, alongside four other mushrooms.

Lion's mane side effects

  • Abdominal discomfort, nausea and skin rash have been reported (Memorial Sloan Kettering).
  • Avoid it if you are allergic to mushrooms.
  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, there is not enough safety data; ask your GP or midwife.
  • Ask a pharmacist if you take diabetes or blood-thinning medicine.

Is lion's mane illegal in the UK?

No, it is legal to buy and eat. But wild lion's mane is a protected species in Great Britain under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so picking it in the wild is illegal. The lion's mane in food and supplements is cultivated.

How to take lion's mane

  • As food: fresh lion's mane can be fried or roasted; it has a mild, seafood-like taste.
  • Capsules or powder: check the dose and part of the mushroom used.
  • In coffee: the easiest daily habit. See lion's mane coffee, our full guide to mushroom coffee, and how it compares with other mushrooms in mushroom coffee benefits.

The older trials

Two earlier Japanese trials are often cited. In 30 adults aged 50 to 80 with mild cognitive impairment, about 3 g a day of lion's mane for 16 weeks gave better cognitive scores than placebo at weeks 8, 12 and 16; the advantage faded 4 weeks after stopping (Mori et al., 2009). In 30 women, lion's mane cookies for 4 weeks lowered depression and complaint scores (Nagano et al., 2010). Both are small. See also mushroom coffee side effects.

Sources

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