Functional or medicinal mushrooms contain substances with beneficial properties to humans. They are not to be confused with magical mushrooms, that get you high, medicinal mushrooms are as the name states primarily for your health. The benefits are often numerous and can be nootropic (i.e. enhancing the cognition), adaptogenic (i.e. balancing your stress, fatigue or anxiety levels), anti-carcinogenic (i.e. helping to fight cancer), increase neurogensis (i.e. help increase the growth of nerve cells) or immunomodulating (i.e. support the immune system).
Unfortunately while some studies have been made the case for medicinal mushrooms is far from clear. While studies can show benefits, the details about the supplement matter. How was the mushroom grown, what part of it was processed, what kind of extraction method was used, how high was the dosage and so on.
In our research, we found that supplement manufacturers very often exploit the hype around the medicinal mushrooms by overpromising but underdelivering. This is especially true for the efficacy of mushroom coffees, where the promises are high but the dosage is multiple times lower than in any study.
We dug deep into the studies behind functional mushrooms, like Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi or Cordyceps and compared them with what the manufacturers of those supplements promise. We asked for lab reports that prove efficacy and did a lot of digging to figure out as much detail as possible.
Cordyceps, originally discovered roughly 2,000 years ago in the Himalayas, are associated with a range of health benefits. Most compellingly, cordyceps have long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an aphrodisiac and treatment for sexual dysfunction. What does the evidence tell us?
Lion’s Mane mushroom supplements are safe, even in very high doses, and are unlikely to cause any side effects. However, if you are currently taking a blood thinner medication or are diabetic, be aware that there are known interactions between Lion’s Mane and these conditions.
Lion’s Mane powder refers to the dried and pulverized product made of Lion’s Mane mushroom. The vast majority of research, particularly the research demonstrating the potent health benefits, uses Lion’s Mane powder from some extraction technique (water, alcohol, or both).
We reviewed 25+ Lion’s Mane supplements and rated each one based on our 3-Point Buying Guide, which breaks down each product based on the most important factors: ingredients, extraction method, and quality assurance. Make the best supplement choice for you and your health needs by using the product review table below and considering the most important factors for you in your supplement. *This article is free of all third-party affiliation, sponsorship, and promotion. We are not paid by ANY of these products or brands. We don’t use affiliate links for any Lion’s Mane products. We provide this information based on our own research and impartial judgement. 2023 Lion’s Mane Supplements Review **Nammex: The main supplier for Lion’s Mane powder extract in North America (many small U.S. and Canada brands supply from them). All mushrooms are from China. Site provides ample information and photos of their mushroom farms. No lab reports…
If you are taking Lion’s Man to enhance your memory or cognition, or to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, then take a Lion’s Mane supplement extracted with alcohol (either mycelium or fruiting body). This ensures you’re getting the nootropic benefits from the NGF-boosting compounds.
Lion’s Mane doesn’t contain any hallucinatory or psychedelic properties. What it does have is a range of health-boosting compounds that will make you feel and think better over time.
Several articles online encourage dog owners to give Lion’s Mane to their pets. However, these recommendations and the purported health benefits for dogs are not evidence-backed. There have been no studies to date evaluating the effects of Lion’s Mane on dogs.
Here, we answer all your questions about how much Lion’s Mane to take, what time of day, for how long, and side effects you may expect. In this article, we dive into these questions to get you the scientifically-backed answers to each one.
Many mainstream mushroom tea and coffee products just don’t contain enough Lion’s Mane to function as an effective means of supplementation. With only 250mg/serving, they provide only a fraction of the amount evaluated in studies (2-11g/day).
Lion’s Mane mushroom may be an effective natural remedy to help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Studies have observed that supplementing 2g/day of powdered fruiting body (or 11g/day of amycenone, a standard extract, sold as Amyloban 3399 capsules) reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety after one to two months.