Lion's Mane Mushrooms: 10 Health Benefits and Side Effects

Lion's mane mushrooms are shaggy white mushrooms that get their name from their appearance. The 10 benefits of lion's mane include that it helps fight cognitive impairment, reduces memory loss, fights mild anxiety and depression, and confers other benefits.

Lion's mane mushrooms are shaggy white mushrooms that get their name from their appearance. As they grow, they resemble a lion's mane. Lion's mane mushrooms have both culinary uses and medical uses. 

You can eat them raw or cook them in various ways. Some people also enjoy lion's mane tea. In addition, many studies have shown potential health benefits of lion's mane mushrooms. 

The bioactive substances in lion's mane mushrooms are responsible for their benefits. These compounds target the gut, heart, and brain. 

1. May help fight cognitive impairment 

As you age, your brain's ability to retain information declines. This is mainly because an older brain cannot form neuronal connections as well as a younger one can. 

Studies show that lion's mane mushrooms have hericenones and erinacines. These two compounds help stimulate brain cell growth, possibly working against mental decline. 

2. Reduce memory loss 

Although there have been no human studies to back this finding, a study in mice showed that lion's mane mushrooms could effectively reduce memory loss symptoms. 

In Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta plaques form in the brain. These plaques damage the neurons, reducing their ability to function correctly. Studies show that lion's mane mushrooms can prevent this neuron damage. 

3. Relieve mild anxiety and depression 

Anxiety and depression are widespread mental health conditions. Although there are many causes, chronic (long–term) inflammation is a leading contributing factor. 

Research shows that lion's mane mushrooms can lower the symptoms of depression and anxiety in mice due to their anti-inflammatory effect. 

4. Protect against stomach ulcers

Ulcers can form in the digestive tract, such as the large intestine, small intestine, and stomach. One of the leading causes of stomach ulcers is the excessive growth of H.pylori, a bacteria that damages the stomach's mucous layer. 

Lion mane's extract helps inhibit this bacterium's growth, protecting the stomach from its effects. 

As a result, it could help prevent ulcer formation in the digestive tract. Note, however, that these studies only show the effect of lion's mane mushrooms in a test tube, not in the stomach. 

5. Reduce recovery time for brain injuries 

Brain injuries can be devastating, since they can lead to poor mental functioning or paralysis. Studies in rats have shown that lion's mane mushrooms can speed up recovery times for brain injuries. This is because the mushrooms stimulate nerve cell repair and growth. Lion's mane mushrooms can speed up recovery by up to 41% in rats who suffer brain injuries. 

6. Lower the risk of heart disease

There are many contributing factors to heart disease, such as obesity and high cholesterol levels. Research has found lion's mane mushrooms to be effective against one risk factor, high triglyceride levels. 

A study in mice and rats showed that lion's mane mushrooms could lower the level of triglycerides in the body. They also help in fat metabolism.

Thus, it's likely that lion's mane mushrooms can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing triglyceride levels. A study found that rats who were given a daily dose of lion's mane mushrooms on a high-fat diet had 27% lower levels of triglycerides than mice eating the same diet without the mushrooms.

7. Might have anticancer effects 

Nowadays, researchers are looking for alternative medicines and natural supplements to combat cancer. Lion mane mushrooms may have anticancer properties, as they cause the death of cancer cells. 

Studies show that when extract of lion's mane mushrooms is added to a test tube containing human cancer cells, it causes fast death of cancer cells. The same results have been seen in several types of cancer cells, such as blood, liver, stomach, and colon cancer. 

8. Help in diabetes management 

The body's blood glucose levels are higher than usual in diabetes, since the body loses some or all of its ability to control sugar levels. Studies show that lion mane's mushrooms can help manage diabetes, since they lower blood sugar levels. 

Animal studies have found that lion's mane lowers blood sugar in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. It can help lower blood sugar levels even when taken at low doses of up to 6 milligrams per kilogram or 2.7 milligrams per pound of body weight. 

9. Strengthen the immune system 

A weak immune system cannot protect the body against foreign disease-causing agents, such as viruses and bacteria. However, animal studies have found that lion mane's mushrooms improve the functioning of the immune system. 

The main effect of these mushrooms has been seen in the intestinal immune system. They protect against disease-causing agents that enter the body through the nose or mouth. 

10. Lower oxidative stress and inflammation 

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation cause many diseases, such as autoimmune disorders (disorders in which the body's immune system starts attacking itself), heart disease, and cancer.

Studies show that lion's mane mushrooms have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A study compared the effect of 14 mushroom species on oxidative stress. The results showed that the lion's mane was the fourth-most effective.

Although lion's mane is thought to have many medical uses, it's important to note that most of these studies have been on animals. There have been no studies to find lion mane's side effects in humans. Future studies and trials will show whether these mushrooms have the same effects inside the human body. 

However, the mushrooms are considered safe. Even when rats were given doses as high as 5 grams per kilogram of body weight for up to three months, there were no side effects. 

But if you are sensitive or allergic to other mushroom species, you should be careful when using lion's mane. It could have the same effect as other mushrooms. Some cases of skin rashes and impaired breathing have been documented as a result of lion's mane mushroom exposure. These are probably due to allergies.