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Lion's Mane Mushrooms: A Natural Nootropic

Updated: Sep 26

If you’ve been paying any attention to the recent surge in mushroom’s popularity—aptly called the “ShroomBoom”—chances are you've heard about Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

Lion’s Mane, taxonomically known as Hericium erinaceus, is roaring like the King of the Jungle for a few reasons.

It’s a delicious gourmet mushroom that’s versatile as a meat substitute. Lion’s Mane crabcakes and Lion’s Mane pulled pork, anyone?

It’s also rather easy to grow for beginners, making it a great option for people looking to buy a fruit from home mushroom grow kit.

But you’re here for the medicinal properties, right? Well, Lion’s Mane mushrooms have plenty of those, too.


lion's mane mushroom extract
4 liters of Lion's Mane extract


The main medicinal compounds in Lion’s Mane mushrooms include the aptly named Hericenones and Erinacines as well as a gaggle of jumbled, complex-sounding compounds—Dilinoleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DLPE), amyloban, amycenone, 3-Hydroxyhericenone F—known to stimulate production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).

Translation: the compounds within Lion’s Mane mushrooms help support the development, maintenance and survival of nerve cells.

The implications of this NGF stimulation effect could be wide-ranging.

As you can imagine, the compounds in Lion’s Mane mushrooms are being looked at as a potential preventative treatment against cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Dementia.

Studies including the one's cited below are also beginning to demonstrate the potential for these compounds to assist nerve recovery from neurological injury, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve short term memory.

Aside from its effects on the brain, Lion’s Mane mushrooms and compounds are also being studied for their potential to protect the gut lining against ulcers and suppress inflammation linked to inflammatory bowel disease. And as with pretty much all medicinal mushrooms, Lion’s Mane mushrooms are considered an adaptogenic, meaning they help your body adapt to stress and find homeostasis no matter the situation.

This likely comes as no surprise to people in China practicing Traditional Chinese medicine, who have been using Lion’s Mane mushrooms for more than a thousand years.

Still thirsting for more?

To learn about our current extraction processes, read our article Medicinal Mushroom Extractions: A Primer on Our Process, dive into our methods with our simplified How to Use a Soxhlet Extractor guide, and learn why we use a Soxhlet in our post Soxhlet Extractor: Why We Do What We Do.

Or, to learn more about why we prefer the dual extract methodology for our products, head on over to Medicinal Mushroom Dual Extracts: Why We Make Them and You Take Them.

And to learn more about the mushrooms in our other products, click on the name of the mushrooms below:
As with any dietary supplement, consult with your physician before incorporating Lion’s Mane mushrooms into your supplement regimen. That being said, we at Mindfull Mycology know of zero side effects or contraindications with Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

Citations:*^
*Please note some of the links above will direct you to the abstract of the study. Many of these studies are behind a paywall. By using the website Sci-hub.se, you will be able to circumvent the paywall and read the entire study.

^Please understand that most of these studies have been conducted on mice or in vitro, known as “test tube studies.” Currently, double-blind placebo human clinical trials for medicinal mushrooms are scarce.
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