Is Lion’s Mane a Nootropic? A Dietitian’s Perspective

We're going to cover one of the questions I'm asked most often: Is Lion’s Mane a nootropic? Well normally people phrase it differently, asking if it really makes you smarter or something along those lines, but you get the idea.

I do know that the world of nootropics can be confusing, with a lot of nonsense claims thrown around. So, let's get into the actual facts around Lion’s Mane and look at what makes it so intriguing and whether it truly fits the bill as a brain-boosting nootropic.

TLDR: Yes, but you need to get something standardized for erinacines, most mushrooms supplements aren't standardized or if they are it's for beta glucans, this isn't the compound that gives lion's mane it's effects. Generally I recommend people check out Nootrum Lion's Mane as that is standardized correctly. Without standardization, you'd need about 5 or 6 grams (5/6 capsules) a day and basically no brand does that and what they call a months supply, would only be a week.

What’s a Nootropic, Anyway?

Nootropics are substances known to enhance cognitive functions like memory, focus, creativity, and even mental clarity. Think of them as natural brain-boosters.

You are probably already be using nootropics without even realizing it—caffeine, for example, is a mild nootropic that increases alertness.

But for something to be classified as a nootropic to be effective, it should be both shown as safe (barring allergies) and backed by research showing it has real cognitive benefits.

And that's where Lion’s Mane comes in or rather 2 particularly compounds in Lion's Mane. I'm not going to go into too much detail about beta glucans, they're common to all functional mushrooms, and they do have some mild cognitive boosting effects, but that's not why we're looking at Lion's Mane Mushroom specifically.

Key Compounds in Lion’s Mane: Erinacines and Hericenones

These two compounds are where the magic of Lion’s Mane lies. Erinacines, found in the mycelium, and hericenones, found in the fruiting body. And yes there's a lot of misinformation about the above ground bit being better, and this is true for most mushroom species, but not lion's mane.

Until recently both were believed to support brain health, but thanks to recent studies erinacines stand out as far more effective.

Erinacines are smaller molecules, which means they may be better at crossing the blood-brain barrier, potentially making them more effective for cognitive support.

However, here’s the catch: 99% of Lion’s Mane supplements contain enough erinacines or hericenones to have an effect. Many products on the market don’t specify the content of these active compounds, which brings us to a key issue with Lion’s Mane supplements.

The Need for Standardization of Erinacines

One of the biggest issues with Lion’s Mane as a nootropic is the lack of standardization—especially when it comes to erinacines. Since Lion’s Mane supplements aren’t consistently standardized, the amount of active compounds can vary widely from one product to another. Imagine trying to bake cookies with a recipe that doesn’t tell you how much sugar to add; you’d end up with very different results each time!

So, Is Lion’s Mane Really a Nootropic?

Based on current research, I’d say Lion’s Mane is in fact a nootropic, as long as you get something standardized for erinacines.

There's a fair amount of animal studies and preliminary human trials have shown that Lion’s Mane may improve cognitive function, mood, and memory, largely attributed to those erinacines and hericenones.

Even with that in mind though the evidence isn’t conclusive yet, and more standardized studies on humans are needed to back up these claims.

But, if you do want to give Lion’s Mane a try, look for products that provide some transparency regarding erinacine and hericenone content. Currently it's only really Nootrum that pushes this. It's very much their selling point, but I am hoping more of the market will follow suit.

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