Can Lion’s Mane Treat Alzheimer’s Disease? Here’s What We Know

Humans have foraged mushrooms for thousands of years — and not just for food. Mushrooms show up in ancient folklore, healing traditions, and art. In recent years, they’ve become frequent research topics and trendy ingredients in health and wellness products.

Lion’s mane is one such functional mushroom, commonly found in East Asia. Known as hóu tóu gū in China or yamabushitake in Japan, it’s been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for centuries. It’s thought to have positive effects on several organs, including the stomach, brain, and liver.

Lion’s mane is particularly known for its potential effects on brain health. And there’s growing interest in whether lion’s mane can help manage Alzheimer’s disease — a type of dementia that affects memory and other brain functions.

What is lion’s mane?

Lion’s mane is an edible mushroom found in forests. It’s scientifically known as Hericium erinaceus. Like a lion’s mane, these mushrooms are shaggy and lush-looking — like big, white pom-poms. Their taste and texture is often described as crab- or lobster-like.

A lion’s mane mushroom has two main parts:

• The shaggy part of the mushroom (fruiting body), which contains hericenones

• The root-like structure (mycelium), which contains erinacines

Erinacines and hericenones are two active chemicals in lion’s mane that may be largely responsible for positive effects on the brain (especially erinacines).

Good to know: Lion’s mane is a functional mushroom, which isn’t the same as “magic mushrooms.” It doesn’t cause hallucinations and euphoria since it doesn’t contain psilocybin — the active chemical in magic mushrooms.

How does lion’s mane work?

The vast amount of research on lion’s mane has been done in labs — in test tubes, petri dishes, and animals. From this work, scientists have found that lion’s mane has the potential to:

• Reduce brain inflammation

• Decrease beta-amyloid protein plaques (protein clumps that are thought to worsen Alzheimer’s disease)

• Help brain and nerve cells grow and develop

• Prevent brain cell death

Read more like this

Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.

The 6 Types of Functional Mushrooms: Can They Improve Your Health?

15 Brain Foods That May Help Boost Memory and Focus

Alzheimer’s Medications: Comparing Your Treatment Options

Mounjaro, Relyvrio, and More: 9 New Drugs Approved in 2022 That You Should Know About

View more

Can lion’s mane treat Alzheimer’s disease?

Before we talk about the benefits and risks of lion’s mane, it’s important to know that lion’s mane cannot treat Alzheimer’s disease on its own. In fact, there isn’t one food, vitamin, or supplement that’s singlehandedly been shown to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease. Over-the-counter products that claim to cure or delay Alzheimer’s are not backed by scientific research.

There is some evidence that various lifestyle habits — like eating a brain-healthy diet and exercising regularly — may help prevent dementia. And if you have signs of Alzheimer’s, there are several FDA-approved medications that can improve your symptoms. 

Some medications can even target the disease process itself and may prevent Alzheimer’s from getting worse. Talk with your healthcare team about your options if you’re experiencing changes to your memory and thinking. Many medications work best during the early phases of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Potential brain benefits of lion’s mane

Lion’s mane may have several benefits to the brain. A few examples include:

• Increasing nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF): These are two chemicals that support brain health. Studies show people with Alzheimer’s dementia have decreased levels of these brain chemicals. However, lion’s mane has been shown to increase the levels of NGF and BDNF in mice and in test-tube experiments.

• Increasing ergothioneine (ERGO) levels in the body: This is an amino acid (protein building block) known as the “longevity vitamin.” ERGO has possible anti-aging and brain-protecting properties. Mushrooms, particularly lion’s mane, are the richest food source of ERGO. But we don’t know whether getting ERGO from foods or supplements translates to a true benefit. So just because you consume a product with ERGO, doesn’t mean you’ll reap any anti-aging or brain benefits.

However, there’s minimal research on the effects of lion’s mane in humans. In fact, only three small studies have been done in older adults taking lion’s mane. These studies all compared lion’s mane to a placebo (a pill with nothing in it).

• One study included 34 healthy participants between the ages of 55 to 65 years old, taking 3.2 grams of a concentrated lion’s mane supplement per day for 3 months. Compared to a placebo, participants taking the supplement had better scores on a test that measures memory and thinking abilities.

• A second study included 30 participants with mild cognitive impairment between the ages of 60 to 80 years old. Participants taking about 3 grams of a lion’s mane supplement per day for 4 months had better scores on a standardized test that measures brain function. The improvement went away after participants stopped taking the supplements.

• A third study of lion’s mane in humans looked at about 40 people over the age of 50 who had mild Alzheimer’s disease. Participants received about 1 gram of a lion’s mane supplement per day for close to a year. Compared to a placebo, the lion’s mane group had better scores on a test that measures how easily you can perform certain mental tasks. But lion’s mane wasn’t better than the placebo on other tests that measured memory and thinking abilities.

Based on these small studies, it’s possible that higher doses of lion’s mane supplements (3 grams or more) are necessary to see improvement in Alzheimer’s symptoms. But larger studies are needed to know for sure. And the supplements tested in these studies aren’t equivalent to consuming lion’s mane mushrooms from the grocery store. These supplements are concentrated forms of certain chemicals in lion’s mane.

However, lion’s mane does seem more likely to help Alzheimer’s symptoms compared to other types of mushrooms.

Potential risks of lion’s mane

Lion’s mane supplements seem generally safe, though no long-term data is available. Some people taking concentrated lion’s mane supplements have reported stomachaches, nausea, and rashes. An allergic reaction to lion’s mane is possible, but a severe reaction is unlikely.

Still, it’s possible that lion’s mane products can have harmful contaminants. For example, lion’s mane can contain heavy metals (like arsenic or lead) from the environment it grew in. Consuming large amounts could result in potentially harmful amounts of heavy metals in your body. Additionally, lion’s mane supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. It’s possible that what’s actually inside a lion’s mane product doesn’t match what’s on the label.

Lion’s mane comes in several forms, including pills, liquids, and powders. This GoodRx article provides tips for how to choose a safe supplement product.

Who shouldn’t take lion’s mane supplements?

Children and women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid lion’s mane supplements. Lion’s mane hasn’t been studied in these groups. In addition, the FDA warns that children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions are more vulnerable to the effects of heavy metals, which may be present in lion’s mane supplements.

Check with your healthcare professional (HCP) or pharmacist before taking lion’s mane, especially if you take other medications. Drug interactions between lion’s mane and other medications are possible, but we don’t have much information on them. Giving your HCP and pharmacist a list of all your medications, including over-the-counter products, can help them evaluate your risk.

Talking to your healthcare team about lion’s mane supplements

Fresh or dried lion’s mane can be part of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet. But it’s best to talk to your healthcare team before taking lion’s mane supplements, or before adding large amounts of fresh or dried mushrooms to your diet.

It’s also a good idea to get help early if you notice memory and thinking changes, even if your day-to-day routines haven’t been impacted. You may have mild cognitive impairment, an often treatable condition that may be reversible. Your care team can help figure out what’s causing your symptoms and come up with a plan of action.

If you or a loved one is living with Alzheimer’s, keeping up with regular medical appointments is important. Your care team can make sure that your Alzheimer’s treatment is safe and effective. In addition, as new treatments become available, they can discuss whether one might be an option for you.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Daphne Berryhill, RPh

Daphne Berryhill, RPh, has two decades of experience as a clinical pharmacist. She spent most of her career in the Chicago area practicing in-home infusion.

Edited by:

Amy B. Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPS

Amy Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPS, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. Amy currently holds her pharmacist license in Georgia and California.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts