Lion's Mane Research Explained: How to Read the Human Studies

Search for lion's mane and you'll find plenty of articles quoting clinical studies. But what do those studies actually look like, and how much can they tell us? This guide explains how to read lion's mane research with a critical eye.

What Is Lion's Mane?

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom with a white, shaggy appearance. It contains signature compounds, hericenones (mainly in the fruiting body) and erinacines (mainly in the mycelium), which researchers have studied mostly in cells and animals.

What Do the Human Studies Look Like?

A handful of human studies on lion's mane have been published, including in Japan. They share some important features:

• Small size: Most involved a few dozen participants.
• Short duration: Intake periods typically ranged from a few weeks to around four months.
• Different groups: Older adults, menopausal women and young adults have each been studied separately.
• Different materials: Studies used fruiting-body powder, mycelium extracts or foods containing lion's mane, at different amounts.

Because of this, the current research is not enough to draw conclusions about lion's mane's effects as a food.

Three Questions to Ask About Any Study

1. Who took part? Results from one age group or population may not apply to everyone.
2. What did they take? The material and amount used may be very different from a product you buy.
3. Was it in humans? Cell and animal results don't necessarily translate to people.

How Much Did the Studies Use?

Amounts varied widely between studies, from hundreds of milligrams to several grams per day, and depended on the material. Rather than copying a study amount, follow the daily serving on your product's label.