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Why Scientists Are Studying Lion's Mane For Healthy Brain Aging
Over the past two decades, researchers have explored Lion's Mane for its unique compounds and their relationship to healthy brain aging. This guide brings together that research in one place.
Forager's Kingdom Editorial · 8 min read
Updated July 2026
Wild Lion's Mane (Hericeum erinaceus)
Over the past two decades, Lion's Mane has become one of the most widely researched medicinal mushrooms for cognitive health.
Researchers have explored its naturally occurring compounds, its relationship to nerve growth factor (NGF), and its potential role in supporting healthy brain function as we age. While much of this research is still developing, it has helped transform Lion's Mane from a little-known culinary mushroom into one of the most studied mushrooms in modern neuroscience.
This guide explores what researchers have actually discovered, what remains uncertain, and why the way a mushroom extract is prepared may matter just as much as the mushroom itself.
Why Brain Health Matters Long Before Symptoms Appear
Most of us don't think much about our brain until something begins to change. A forgotten name, misplaced keys, or difficulty concentrating are often dismissed as normal parts of getting older. Researchers, however, tend to approach brain health from a different perspective. Rather than waiting for problems to appear, much of today's research focuses on understanding how healthy brain function can be supported throughout life.
Just as we exercise to maintain muscle strength or eat well to support heart health, scientists are increasingly interested in the habits and natural compounds that may help preserve healthy cognitive function over the long term. Healthy aging isn't built in a single moment—it's the result of thousands of small decisions made consistently over time.
Healthy aging is a lifelong process, not a treatment that begins after symptoms appear.
Understanding Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)
One of the most important discoveries in neuroscience was Nerve Growth Factor, commonly referred to as NGF.
Rather than acting like a stimulant or providing a burst of energy, NGF functions as a signaling protein that helps certain nerve cells survive, develop, and maintain their normal function.
Because of its essential role in supporting healthy neurons, NGF has been studied extensively for decades. Scientists continue to investigate how maintaining healthy NGF activity may contribute to learning, memory, and overall cognitive health throughout the aging process. It is this long history of NGF research—not marketing claims—that eventually led scientists to begin investigating Lion's Mane.
Where Lion's Mane Entered The Conversations
Researchers discovered that Lion's Mane contains several naturally occurring compounds that appear unique among edible mushrooms.
Two groups of compounds—hericenones and erinacines—have been investigated for their potential relationship with NGF pathways in laboratory and animal studies. These early findings generated significant scientific interest because they suggested Lion's Mane deserved further investigation as more than simply a nutritious food.
Since then, researchers have continued exploring its effects in laboratory experiments, animal models, and a growing number of human studies.
While these studies do not establish Lion's Mane as a treatment for cognitive diseases, they do provide a compelling reason for continued research into its potential role in supporting healthy cognitive aging.
What Human Studies Have Found
What Human Studies Have Found
While laboratory research has generated much of the excitement surrounding Lion's Mane, several human clinical studies have also explored its potential effects on cognition and mood. These studies are relatively small and should not be interpreted as proof that Lion's Mane prevents or treats neurological disease. Instead, they provide an early look at how this mushroom may support healthy cognitive function and help guide future research.
Study 1 | Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment
One of the most frequently cited human studies followed 30 Japanese adults between the ages of 50 and 80 who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Participants consumed either Lion's Mane or a placebo every day for 16 weeks while researchers measured changes in cognitive performance using standardized cognitive assessments. By weeks 8, 12, and 16, the Lion's Mane group demonstrated significantly higher cognitive test scores than the placebo group. Interestingly, those improvements gradually declined after supplementation was discontinued, suggesting that any observed benefits may depend on continued daily use rather than producing permanent changes.
Reference: 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. Phytotherapy Research. 2009;23(3):367-372. PMID: 18844328.
Study 2 | Mood, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality
Another randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigated Lion's Mane in healthy menopausal women over four weeks. Compared with the placebo group, participants consuming Lion's Mane reported lower levels of anxiety and depression on validated psychological questionnaires. While the study was small and focused on a very specific population, it suggested that Lion's Mane may influence more than cognition alone and highlighted the need for larger clinical trials examining mood and emotional well-being.
Reference: Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R, et al. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical Research. 2010;31(4):231-237. PMID: 20834180.
What These Studies Tell Us
Taken together, these early human trials suggest that Lion's Mane is worthy of continued scientific investigation. They do not demonstrate that Lion's Mane can prevent, treat, or reverse Alzheimer's disease or other neurological conditions. Instead, they show why researchers continue studying this mushroom: early clinical findings have been encouraging enough to justify larger, longer, and more rigorous trials. As with much of nutritional science, the strongest conclusions will come from the total body of evidence as it continues to grow—not from any single study.
Why preparation matters
Not Every Lion’s Mane Product Is Prepared the Same Way
The words “Lion’s Mane” tell you which mushroom is inside the product, but they do not tell you how it was prepared. Different extraction methods are used to make different groups of naturally occurring compounds available.
Why We Chose Dual Extraction
When we first began producing mushroom extracts, we weren't interested in creating another Lion's Mane supplement.
We wanted to produce one that reflected what researchers were actually investigating. That meant starting with USDA Organic fruiting bodies rather than myceliated grain. It meant carefully performing both hot water and alcohol extractions so a broader range of naturally occurring compounds could be preserved in the finished extract.
We use locally collected wild spring water during our extraction process, produce in small batches, and independently test every batch for quality.
Our goal has never been to create more mushroom. Our goal has always been to preserve more of what the mushroom naturally contains while respecting both the research and the remarkable organism itself.
Our Philosophy
Nature has spent millions of years perfecting mushrooms. We don't believe our job is to improve upon them—we believe it's to prepare them carefully enough that more of what nature created remains available in every bottle.
That's why our approach has always prioritized thoughtful sourcing, traditional extraction methods, transparency, and education over exaggerated marketing claims.
We believe customers deserve to understand not only what they're buying, but why it was made that way. If this guide helps you ask better questions about mushroom supplements, then it has accomplished exactly what we hoped it would.
Neil Thenier- Founder & Forager
If You're Looking For A Lion's Mane Extract Built Around The Research
If learning about the science behind Lion's Mane has inspired you to incorporate it into your daily routine, we believe the quality of the extract deserves just as much consideration as the mushroom itself.
Our Lion's Mane Extract is crafted from USDA Organic fruiting bodies, dual extracted to provide a broad spectrum of naturally occurring compounds, and produced in small batches using locally collected wild spring water.
Every bottle reflects the same philosophy that guided this entire page: respect the research, respect the mushroom, and make it as easy as possible for people to experience both with confidence.
100% Fruiting Body
Lion's Mane Dual Extract
USDA Organic Certified.
Fruiting body only — no mycelium-on-grain filler.
Lion's Mane Extract
50 servings per bottle