THE SCIENCE BEHIND
THE BENEFITS OF LION'S MANE
(Hericium Erinaceus)

Lion’s Mane (Hericium Erinaceus) has been used medicinally for centuries. Today, scientific studies are catching up with traditional wisdom and confirming its many benefits.
It also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
While the benefits are numerous, it’s important to remember; not all functional mushroom products are the same. You want to make sure you choose only high-quality products with exceptional safety standards for the highest potency and efficacy.
You should also know that while science is finally catching up (thankfully!), these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. As such, this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Below, we’ve collected some of the most respected and eye-opening studies on the benefits of Lion’s Mane to support your own research into the topic.
Research has
suggested that
Lion’s Mane supports:
• Cognitive Function
• Overall Brain Health
• Improved Mood
• Immune Health
• Digestion
Friedman M. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Aug 19;63(32):7108-23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914. Epub 2015 Aug 5. PMID: 26244378.
Lai PL, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V, Wong KH, David RP, Kuppusamy UR, Abdullah N, Malek SN. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2013;15(6):539-54. doi: 10.1615/intjmedmushr.v15.i6.30. PMID: 24266378.
Mori K, Obara Y, Moriya T, Inatomi S, Nakahata N. Effects of Hericium erinaceus on amyloid β(25-35) peptide-induced learning and memory deficits in mice. Biomed Res. 2011 Feb;32(1):67-72. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.32.67. PMID: 21383512.
Tsai-Teng T, Chin-Chu C, Li-Ya L, et al. Erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelium ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies in APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice. J Biomed Sci. 2016;23(1):49. Published 2016 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s12929-016-0266-z.
Zhang J, An S, Hu W, Teng M, Wang X, Qu Y, Liu Y, Yuan Y, Wang D. The Neuroprotective Properties of Hericium erinaceus in Glutamate-Damaged Differentiated PC12 Cells and an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Nov 1;17(11):1810. doi: 10.3390/ijms17111810. PMID: 27809277; PMCID: PMC5133811.
Cheng JH, Tsai CL, Lien YY, Lee MS, Sheu SC. High molecular weight of polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus against amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jun 7;16:170. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1154-5. PMID: 27266872; PMCID: PMC4895996.
Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-372. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634
Rebar AL, Stanton R, Geard D, Short C, Duncan MJ, Vandelanotte C. A meta-meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety in non-clinical adult populations. Health Psychol Rev. 2015;9(3):366-378. doi:10.1080/17437199.2015.1022901
Yao W, Zhang JC, Dong C, et al. Effects of amycenone on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, and depression-like behavior in mice after lipopolysaccharide administration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2015;136:7-12. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2015.06.012
Chiu CH, Chyau CC, Chen CC, et al. Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(2):341. Published 2018 Jan 24. doi:10.3390/ijms19020341
Ryu S, Kim HG, Kim JY, Kim SY, Cho KO. Hericium erinaceus Extract Reduces Anxiety and Depressive Behaviors by Promoting Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Adult Mouse Brain. J Med Food. 2018;21(2):174-180. doi:10.1089/jmf.2017.4006
Brandalise F, Cesaroni V, Gregori A, Repetti M, Romano C, Orrù G, Botta L, Girometta C, Guglielminetti ML, Savino E, Rossi P. Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:3864340. doi: 10.1155/2017/3864340. Epub 2017 Jan 1. PMID: 28115973; PMCID: PMC5237458.
Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R, et al. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomed Res. 2010;31(4):231-237. doi:10.2220/biomedres.31.231
Samberkar S, Gandhi S, Naidu M, Wong KH, Raman J, Sabaratnam V. Lion's Mane, Hericium erinaceus and Tiger Milk, Lignosus rhinocerotis (Higher Basidiomycetes) Medicinal Mushrooms Stimulate Neurite Outgrowth in Dissociated Cells of Brain, Spinal Cord, and Retina: An In Vitro Study. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2015;17(11):1047-1054. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i11.40
Kolotushkina EV, Moldavan MG, Voronin KY, Skibo GG. The influence of Hericium erinaceus extract on myelination process in vitro. Fiziol Zh. 2003;49(1):38-45.
Park YS, Lee HS, Won MH, Lee JH, Lee SY, Lee HY. Effect of an exo-polysaccharide from the culture broth of Hericium erinaceus on enhancement of growth and differentiation of rat adrenal nerve cells. Cytotechnology. 2002 Sep;39(3):155-62. doi: 10.1023/A:1023963509393. PMID: 19003308; PMCID: PMC3449638.
Wong KH, Naidu M, David P, et al. Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Following Crush Injury to Rat Peroneal Nerve by Aqueous Extract of Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) [published correction appears in Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Dec 16;2018:9820769]. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:580752. doi:10.1093/ecam/neq062
Lee KF, Chen JH, Teng CC, et al. Protective effects of Hericium erinaceus mycelium and its isolated erinacine A against ischemia-injury-induced neuronal cell death via the inhibition of iNOS/p38 MAPK and nitrotyrosine. Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(9):15073-15089. Published 2014 Aug 27. doi:10.3390/ijms150915073
Kanno T, Iijima K, Abe Y, et al. A multicenter prospective study on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori-negative and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-negative idiopathic peptic ulcers in Japan. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;30(5):842-848. doi:10.1111/jgh.12876
Jiang S, Wang S, Sun Y, Zhang Q. Medicinal properties of Hericium erinaceus and its potential to formulate novel mushroom-based pharmaceuticals. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014;98(18):7661-7670. doi:10.1007/s00253-014-5955-5
Wang M, Konishi T, Gao Y, Xu D, Gao Q. Anti-Gastric Ulcer Activity of Polysaccharide Fraction Isolated from Mycelium Culture of Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes). Int J Med Mushrooms. 2015;17(11):1055-1060. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i11.50
Liu JH, Li L, Shang XD, Zhang JL, Tan Q. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of bioactive components isolated from Hericium erinaceus. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;183:54-58. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.004
Shang X, Tan Q, Liu R, Yu K, Li P, Zhao GP. In vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori effects of medicinal mushroom extracts, with special emphasis on the Lion's Mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (higher Basidiomycetes). Int J Med Mushrooms. 2013;15(2):165-174. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushr.v15.i2.50
Wong JY, Abdulla MA, Raman J, et al. Gastroprotective Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) Extract against Ethanol-Induced Ulcer in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:492976. doi:10.1155/2013/492976
Qin M, Geng Y, Lu Z, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract of Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2016;18(3):227-234. doi:10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i3.50
Diling C, Xin Y, Chaoqun Z, et al. Extracts from Hericium erinaceus relieve inflammatory bowel disease by regulating immunity and gut microbiota. Oncotarget. 2017;8(49):85838-85857. Published 2017 Sep 6. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.20689
Ren Y, Geng Y, Du Y, et al. Polysaccharide of Hericium erinaceus attenuates colitis in C57BL/6 mice via regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation-related signaling pathways and modulating the composition of the gut microbiota. J Nutr Biochem. 2018;57:67-76. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2018.03.005
Therkelsen SP, Hetland G, Lyberg T, Lygren I, Johnson E. Effect of a Medicinal Agaricus blazei Murill-Based Mushroom Extract, AndoSan™, on Symptoms, Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis in a Randomized Single-Blinded Placebo Controlled Study. PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0150191. Published 2016 Mar 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150191
Therkelsen SP, Hetland G, Lyberg T, Lygren I, Johnson E. Effect of the Medicinal Agaricus blazei Murill-Based Mushroom Extract, AndoSanTM, on Symptoms, Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Crohn's Disease in a Randomized Single-Blinded Placebo Controlled Study. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 14;11(7):e0159288. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159288. PMID: 27415795; PMCID: PMC4944955.
Choi WS, Kim YS, Park BS, Kim JE, Lee SE. Hypolipidaemic Effect of Hericium erinaceum Grown in Artemisia capillaris on Obese Rats. Mycobiology. 2013 Jun;41(2):94-9. doi: 10.5941/MYCO.2013.41.2.94. Epub 2013 Jun 30. PMID: 23874132; PMCID: PMC3714447.
Hiwatashi K, Kosaka Y, Suzuki N, et al. Yamabushitake mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) improved lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(7):1447-1451. doi:10.1271/bbb.100130
Rahman MA, Abdullah N, Aminudin N. Inhibitory effect on in vitro LDL oxidation and HMG Co-A reductase activity of the liquid-liquid partitioned fractions of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (lion's mane mushroom). Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:828149. doi:10.1155/2014/828149
Mori K, Kikuchi H, Obara Y, et al. Inhibitory effect of hericenone B from Hericium erinaceus on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(14):1082-1085. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2010.05.004
He X, Wang X, Fang J, et al. Structures, biological activities, and industrial applications of the polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) mushroom: A review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2017;97:228-237. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.01.040
Liang B, Guo Z, Xie F, Zhao A. Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities of aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus in experimental diabetic rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013 Oct 3;13:253. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-253. PMID: 24090482; PMCID: PMC3852124.
Wu T, Xu B. Antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of eight medicinal mushroom species from China. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2015;17(2):129-140. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i2.40
Yi Z, Shao-Long Y, Ai-Hong W, Zhi-Chun S, Ya-Fen Z, Ye-Ting X, Yu-Ling H. Protective Effect of Ethanol Extracts of Hericium erinaceus on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:595480. doi: 10.1155/2015/595480. Epub 2015 Apr 16. PMID: 25960754; PMCID: PMC4415746.
Li Y, Zhang G, Ng TB, Wang H. A novel lectin with antiproliferative and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities from dried fruiting bodies of the monkey head mushroom Hericium erinaceum. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2010;2010:716515. doi: 10.1155/2010/716515. Epub 2010 Jun 13. PMID: 20625408; PMCID: PMC2896861.
Lee SR, Jung K, Noh HJ, et al. A new cerebroside from the fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceus and its applicability to cancer treatment. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2015;25(24):5712-5715. doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.10.092
Kim SP, Kang MY, Choi YH, Kim JH, Nam SH, Friedman M. Mechanism of Hericium erinaceus (Yamabushitake) mushroom-induced apoptosis of U937 human monocytic leukemia cells. Food Funct. 2011;2(6):348-356. doi:10.1039/c1fo10030k
Li G, Yu K, Li F, et al. Anticancer potential of Hericium erinaceus extracts against human gastrointestinal cancers. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;153(2):521-530. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.03.003
Li W, Zhou W, Kim EJ, Shim SH, Kang HK, Kim YH. Isolation and identification of aromatic compounds in Lion's Mane Mushroom and their anticancer activities. Food Chem. 2015;170:336-342. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.08.078
Gu YH, Belury MA. Selective induction of apoptosis in murine skin carcinoma cells (CH72) by an ethanol extract of Lentinula edodes. Cancer Lett. 2005;220(1):21-28. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2004.06.037
Join Our Brew
Stay up to date with all things from Mycofi, and get the newsletter
straight to your inbox + get 15% off your first order!
Join The Club
AUTOSHIP & SAVE!
10% OFF + FREE SHIPPING!
Somethings are better on repeat - Sign up for MycoFi Monthly to SAVE 10% and receive FREE AUTOMATED SHIPPING! Choose the delivery date that’s best for you and modify, pause, or cancel orders anytime quickly and easily.

ENJOY MAXIMUM MUSHROOM POWER
Enjoy free shipping on orders over $49. And if your order is less than $49, enjoy flat rate shipping of $5.

ENJOY MAXIMUM MUSHROOM POWER
You’ll love it, or you’ll get your money back.
No questions asked - just send it back for a refund.
(We’re pretty sure you’re gonna love it.)

ENJOY MAXIMUM MUSHROOM POWER
AUTOMATIC DELIVERY Have your favorite blend automatically delivered each month and save 10%. Modify, pause, or cancel orders anytime. Get started.