Lion’s Mane Review in 2024: Benefits, Dosage, and Safety of Nootropic

What is Lion’s mane mushroom? This product is also comprehended as yamabushitake or hou tou gu. Lion’s mane mushrooms are indeed white, large, shaggy mushrooms that remarkably resemble a lion’s mane (LM) as they grow. Besides, they have culinary & medical uses in various Asian countries like Japan, China, India, & Korea [1]. It can be relished raw, dried, cooked, or steeped as tea. Impressively, their extracts are frequently utilized in over-the-counter (OTC) health supplements. Many enthusiasts depict their flavor as “seafood-like,” frequently comparing it to a crab or lobster. The product contains bioactive substances that have beneficial impacts on the body, particularly the brain, heart, & gut.

This guide covers in detail all about LM as a nootropic. It covers its insanely great benefits, dosage, & safety. Besides, this nootropic Lion’s Mane guide compares lion’s mane vs modafinil and most importantly, where to buy them online if you need some tabs for yourself.

Here are the pointers of nootropic Lion’s Mane.

What Is Lion’s Mane?

Lion’s mane (or Hericium erinaceus (HE)) is a therapeutic mushroom verified to profit the brain, nerves, + immune system. It’s a notable member of the fungus kingdom, certainly having qualities that no other species has. It has a unique semblance, looking almost like a wizard’s beard. Furthermore, it generally grows during the late summer & fall.

The product belongs to the “tooth fungus” group & is native to North America, Asia, & Europe. Unlike other mushrooms sporting a hat & stem, the LM certainly has long, flowing, white tendrils. Other phrases comprise Monkey’s Head, Hedgehog Mushroom, Bearded Tooth, Pom Pom Blanc, & Satyr’s Beard.

Hericium erinaceus is a parasitic fungus growing hanging off logs & trees. It is remarkably native to Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America. In Japan, it’s dubbed yamabushitake or “one who prostrates himself on the mountain,” referring to the Shugendo religious sect of hermit monks & their elongated, flowing robes.

As an efficacious nootropic, lion’s mane has been demonstrated to be remarkably beneficial in eliciting Nerve Growth Factor (or NGF) in the brain. Impressively, LM is one of the most influential (possibly THE most all-powerful) natural supplements for heightening NGF.

NGF augments nerve growth & regeneration, aiding your brain to rejuvenate itself & ultimately make fresh connections.

This is a paramount process required for memory formation, mental capability, + overall brain health. It indeed contains the nootropic compounds hericenone & also erinacines, both of which are exclusively found in this distinct mushroom.

Additionally, nerve regeneration is an essential part of maintaining the mind pungent, specifically as you get older. Regrettably, as we age, our NGF inherently begins to drop. As neurons become less & less capable to better themselves & evolve new connections, your cogent cognition certainly begins to suffer.

You can’t process information swiftly as it should be, it becomes even more complicated to learn new things, & memories commence slipping away.

Indeed, a severe lack of NGF is precisely related to diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, & dementia. It’s unquestionably critical to be certain your brain maintains its plasticity.

However, lion’s mane isn’t only for older individuals looking to fend off brainpower decline. Even healthy young individuals may derive nootropic advantages from administering this insanely great mushroom, implying lion’s mane could be a prime cornerstone of your brain-optimizing nootropic effect.

Impressively, many cultures around the globe have been utilizing this fungus for 1000s of years for its remarkable medicinal + brain-heightening powers. It even helps enthusiasts focus their minds during prolonged meditation sessions.

NGF is made in the hippocampus throughout life. It superbly works to module cholinergic receptors & neuroplasticity and is fundamental for learning.

Unquestionably, LM, like other medicinal mushrooms, has a high quantity of the antioxidant beta-glucoxylan plus 4 other polysaccharides & also polypeptides. It has a consequential impact on ameliorating your immune system and lessening tumor growth.

Besides, the lion’s mane efficaciously lessens amyloid plaques. Unquestionably, these clumps of beta-amyloid proteins unambiguously block signals between neurons and are indeed incriminated in Alzheimer’s & also different neurodegenerative conditions.

Lion’s mane is also utilized to therapy Lyme disease + also digestive tract issues. It’s a robust neuroprotectant that could aid remedy various conditions such as obesity, liver damage, & even some types of cancer. Further, its possibility for cognitive improvement, as well as relief of depression & ulcers, lessens heart disease risk and aids to manage diabetes signs & anxiety, making LM one of the most favored & promising natural nootropics [2] [3].

Lion’s Mane Ingredients

The HE contains [4]:

• erinacines A-K (may have the possibility to slow down degenerative disorders of the brain & aid prolong life);
• hericenones A & C-H (remarkably heighten nerve growth factor synthesis);
• orcinol derivatives (mycelium) help to maintain healthy immune function by helping immune cells for protection, immune strength, & a balanced immune response;
• sialic-acid binding lectin, which maintains & stimulates the cogency of the immune system, heightens brain development, delays brain dysfunction, superbly ameliorates damaged nerve cells, strengthens cells of viability, & ultimately heightens immunity;
• sterols, e.g., ergosterol & beta-sitosterol, which significantly help lessen the probability of having cancer & atheroma.

It also has polysaccharides, called HEF-P & belonging to the beta-glucan family. Remarkably, polysaccharides might help to support healthy blood sugar levels already in a normal range, control healthy weight as well as heart health + healthy blood pressure levels already in a normal range. It also supports healthy cholesterol levels plus aids your immune function, boosting good cardiovascular health & even boosting your libido.

How Does Lion’s Mane Nootropic Work?

LM heightens brain health & ultimately functions in several ways. Though 2, in particular, clearly stand out:

• LM impressively stimulates the synthesis of the NGF. Certainly, NGF is a protein that extraordinarily plays a significant role in the upkeep, survival, + regeneration of neurons. It’s necessitated by the brain to retain neurons powerful & healthy. When diverse neurological conditions transpire, your brain is incapable to produce its internal source of NGF. Nonetheless, lion’s mane extracts induced NGF synthesis & heightened neurite outgrowth;
• It’s efficacious in decreasing depression & anxiety. Some enthusiasts even dub it the “smart mushroom” for its power to augment cognition and memory, as well as function as an anti-depressant.

An analysis by investigators in Japan worked with 30 women. Remarkably, the female subjects had been whining about depression, menopause, sleep differentia, & other problems. The women haphazardly obtained lion’s mane-laced cookies or a placebo for merely four weeks. The investigators discovered that the lion’s mane superbly has the prospect to lessen depression & anxiety, and these consequences propose a different mechanism from the NGF ameliorating action of HE [5].

Side Effects & Warnings

Analyses so far have discovered that lion’s mane generally has no negative effects. One analysis in rats discovered no measurable side effects of lion’s mane even after consumption of 1000 mg/kg of body weight for 90 days [6].

That said, it’s typically safe to presume that if a med or supplement has primary impacts on the body, it also has negative effects. Given that lion’s mane work by heightening neurogenesis, it’s feasible that negative effects would take a longer time to transpire. That expressed, it’s feasible to be allergic to lion’s mane.

Regarding interaction, the supplement has moderate interaction with this mixture:

• diabetes meds (Antidiabetes drugs): Lion’s mane might lower blood sugar levels. Popping lion’s mane along with diabetes meds might compel blood sugar to drop too low;
• meds used to slow blood clotting (Antiplatelet/Anticoagulant meds): The mix might slow blood clotting & might heighten the peril of bruising & bleeding.

Indeed, lion’s mane’s negative effects are mild & may comprise stomach discomfort. There isn’t sufficiently reliable info to understand if the lion’s mane mushroom is uncontroversial to use when pregnant or breastfeeding. Always stay on the safe side & bypass use. Also, halt using the lion’s mane at least two weeks before a planned surgery [7].

Is Lion’s Mane Overdose Possible?

Dosages of lion’s mane significantly vary, & at the time of writing this guide, there are no optimal dosage suggestions.

However, effective doses vary from 500 mg to 3000 mg. This dose seems to be safe & results in minimal negative effects for individuals not allergic to mushrooms. Given the possibility of allergic reactions, it certainly makes sense to be conservative, commencing with only 1 g a day before very slowly ramping up the dosage.

It’s best to divide lion’s mane dosages into several doses/day. For instance, a 3g/day dosage is frequently divided into 1g, three times a day.

The main usefulness of dividing the dosage is presumably just that it lessens any possibility of a gastric upset.

One last thing to regard is that due to the unknown long-term effects of lion’s mane, it might be intelligent to use it only in short cycles, specifically with breaks in between. For example, you could pop 1g a day for 4 to 16 weeks, then take a few months off before accomplishing another cycle at 2g a day, & so on. That would certainly permit you time to evaluate the long-term effects of lion’s mane.

What’s more? To extraordinarily optimize your brain health & function, it’s most suitable to administer lion’s mane as part of a decisive formula, mixing other cognitive-augmenting nootropics.

Certainly, you can stack lion’s mane with the most robust nootropics. For instance, Mind Lab Pro is indeed stacked with 500 mg of lion’s mane (full spectrum), a confirmed efficacious dose for optimizing a vast exhibition of cognitive functions as part of the nootropic formula.

What happens if you take too much lion’s mane?

In short, it would certainly be hard to overdose on a lion’s mane supplement. Some examinations have used doses of up to 3, 000 mg, which have been observed safe & resulted in minimal negative effects.

Nonetheless, more does not always mean more useful! We vehemently advise pursuing the precise dosage policies on the product you’re using.

As said earlier, there have been no noted serious negative effects from taking lion’s mane, unless you seriously have an allergy to mushrooms. Though, as always, we advise consulting your physician if thinking of administering it or any new supplement.

Lion’s Mane vs Modafinil

Modafinil is dubbed the “world’s first safe smart drug,” and it’s the undisputed tried and extremely efficacious pharmaceutical nootropic in the world right now. It’s a drug, not a supplement like a lion’s mane.

Indeed, modafinil offers a lot of cognitive benefits, and its effects are immediate, an hour after popping it, unlike lion’s mane, which doesn’t produce instantly noticeable effects. It must be administered for a minimum of several weeks to experience its benefits.

Modafinil’s cognitive effects include boosting memory, mental acuity, alertness, fostering wakefulness, motivation, decision-making & planning, heightening thinking and learning, boosting productivity, heightened energy, insanely great focus, etc. However, lion’s mane supplements can enhance overall cognition, particularly in older individuals.

By popping LM for a few weeks, your overall thought process superbly appears clearer & better organized. Your memories become more comfortable to access, new info is more uncomplicated to comprehend, & vital thinking certainly becomes more fluid in this state. Besides, your focus on tasks is more satisfactory after infrequent supplementation weeks.

By boosting your overall mood, you are more optimistic & less stressed. It’s indeed much more leisurely to concentrate on what’s in front of you. However, modafinil, we believe, is better; it has gone through rigorous trials & research and is now the most efficacious and safest nootropics. On the aspect of LM benefits, more human trials ought to be performed, but the supplement indicates it could be an efficacious nootropic for all-inclusive thinking.

Comparing side effects, lion’s mane tends to have very few negative effects, though as mentioned, allergic reactions can transpire in rare circumstances. Modafinil can be linked with various negative effects, and it interacts with various meds. Be cautious not to mix modafinil with other drugs and be sure of its negative effects.

Overall, modafinil is far better than lion’s mane.

Where to Buy Nootropics Online?

The most significant thing to look for when purchasing lion’s mane is dosage. Avoid buying lion’s mane capsules, powder (or any supplements, truthfully) that don’t list the identical dosage or conceal it within a “proprietary blend.” Some vendors claim to offer lion’s mane herbal supplements, but you should be cautious.

We generally urge purchasing supplements on Amazon, your best bet, as it limits sellers’ capability to rig the review or testimonial process, and you are sure you are obtaining the authentic product. You can also order lion’s mane extract online from PureNootropics.net, as they are certainly a one-stop shop for cognitive-augmenting supplements.

Alternatively, if you’d want to administer a supplement that contains a blend of various cognitive-ameliorating nootropics, comprising lion’s mane, we urge Mind Lab Pro. Read our comprehensive Mind Lab Pro review for a thorough overview.

Modafinil can be ordered online or from local pharmacies that stock it. We recommend shopping generic modafinil brands online from ModafinilXL.com, BuyModafinilOnline.com, Afinil.com, FreeModafinil.org, or BuyArmodafinil.com. Impressively, these vendors are legitimate and offer authentic generic modafinil sourced from genuine FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, especially from India.

The aforementioned vendors offer insanely great shopper-tailored price-lessening experiences such as the use of discounts (especially if paying using bitcoin), awesome coupon codes, and excellent offers, including free trial samples of generic modafinil.

The Verdict: Comprehensive Review of Lion’s Mane Nootropic

Lion’s mane is a remarkably unique & exceptionally promising natural nootropic in the world that has been verified to ameliorate brain health, augment cognition, & protect the brain against injury, illness, & the consequences of aging.

Though it doesn’t possess the instantaneous effects of modern synthetic nootropics like modafinil, it may indeed be a highly valuable supplement that merits a close peek from anyone that desires authentic, long-lasting advancements to memory, & overall brain function.

References

1. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. By Mendel Friedman. Published: August 5, 2015. Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
2. Medicinal properties of Hericium erinaceus and its potential to formulate novel mushroom-based pharmaceuticals. By Shengjuan Jiang, Songhua Wang, Yujun Sun, and Qiang Zhang. Published: September 2014. Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
3. 9 Health Benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushroom (Plus Side Effects). Retrieved: September 30, 2022. Healthline.com.
4. Lion’s Mane. By Kamal Patel, MPH, MBA. Updated: September 28, 2022. Retrieved: September 30, 2022. Examine.com.
5. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. By Mayumi Nagano, Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Ryuichiro Kondo, Chickako Hayashi, Daigo Sato, Katsuyuki Kitagawa, and Koichiro Ohnuki. Published: August 2010. Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
6. Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment. By Hariprasath Lakshmanan, Jegadeesh Raman, Pamela David, Kah-Hui Wong, Murali Naidu, and Vikineswary Sabaratnam. Published: December 2016. Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
7. Lion’S Mane Mushroom – Uses, Side Effects, and More. Retrieved: September 30, 2022. Webmd.com.