Ingredient guide

Lion's Mane: what it is and what the research says

Lion's Mane is a white, shaggy mushroom that grows on broadleaf trees. It has a long history in East Asian cooking and traditional practice, and today it is one of the best known functional mushrooms.

  • Hericium erinaceus
  • The brain mushroom
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  • The brain mushroomAlso known as
  • Starshroooms · 2:1 extractIn our gummies
  • Small human trialsEvidence so far

What is Lion's Mane?

Lion's Mane grows on oak, beech and other hardwoods across Asia, Europe and North America. It has no cap or stem, just a cascade of soft white spines, which is where the name comes from. In Japan it is called yamabushitake, after the mountain monks whose robes it was said to look like.

How Lion's Mane has been used

In China and Japan it has been eaten as a food and prepared as a tonic for generations. Today it is the mushroom people reach for when they want a clear, calm head for work, study or creative projects, and it is the most researched mushroom for the mind.

Lion's Mane is one of the most studied functional mushrooms. Most of the research is in the lab and in animals, with a handful of small human trials looking at memory, focus and mood.

What the research says

The studies so far.

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  • Human trial

    Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment

    Mori et al., Phytotherapy Research, 2009

    The Lion's Mane group scored significantly higher on a cognitive function scale than the placebo group at weeks 8, 12 and 16.

    Read on PubMed (opens in a new window)
  • Human trial

    The acute and chronic effects of Lion's Mane on cognitive function, stress and mood in young adults

    Docherty et al., Nutrients, 2023

    People were faster on a focus task (the Stroop test) 60 minutes after a single dose, and there was a trend towards lower stress scores after 28 days.

    Read on PubMed (opens in a new window)
  • Human trial

    Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks of Lion's Mane intake

    Nagano et al., Biomedical Research, 2010

    Depression scores and general complaint scores improved in the Lion's Mane group. Concentration and anxiety moved in the right direction but did not reach significance.

    Read on PubMed (opens in a new window)

Studies looked at Lion's Mane on its own, often in different forms and amounts, and did not test our gummies. Descriptions of traditional use are not health claims.

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Where to find it

Lion's Mane in Starshroooms.

Two Starshroooms gummies contain a 2:1 Lion's Mane extract, alongside Reishi, Chaga, Maitake, Cordyceps, Tremella and Panax Ginseng. If focus is your goal, take them with breakfast.

£24.99

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Lion's Mane, answered.

Is Lion's Mane a magic mushroom?

No. Lion's Mane contains no psilocybin. It is an edible mushroom you can find in food shops and restaurants.

When should I take Lion's Mane?

Most people take it in the morning. With Starshroooms, that means two gummies with breakfast.

How long does Lion's Mane take to work?

The human trial we link to ran for 16 weeks, with differences showing from week 8. Give it at least one full pack.

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