Lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is one of the few natural compounds that has been shown to stimulate the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein critical for the growth, maintenance, and survival of neurons.
What nerve growth factor does
NGF was discovered in the 1950s by Rita Levi-Montalcini, work that earned her the Nobel Prize in 1986. It's a small protein that signals neurons to grow, branch, and form new connections. Without sufficient NGF, neurons atrophy. With it, they thrive.
NGF crosses the blood-brain barrier poorly when administered directly, which means therapeutic strategies tend to focus on stimulating the body's own NGF production rather than supplementing the protein itself.
Lion's mane's two key compound classes
Lion's mane contains two unique groups of compounds that have been shown in laboratory and animal studies to stimulate NGF synthesis:
- Hericenones, found primarily in the fruiting body (the visible mushroom). At least eight different hericenones (A through H) have been isolated.
- Erinacines, found primarily in the mycelium (the underground root structure). At least ten different erinacines have been characterized.
Of these, erinacine A is the most studied. It's been shown in cellular and animal models to cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate NGF production in neurons.
What the human research shows
Human studies on lion's mane are smaller and less numerous than the in-vitro and rodent research, but they're suggestive:
- A 2009 Japanese trial gave older adults with mild cognitive impairment 3 grams of dried lion's mane daily for 16 weeks. Cognitive scores improved significantly compared to placebo.
- A 2010 Japanese study found improvements in subjective measures of anxiety and depression in women given lion's mane biscuits over 4 weeks.
- Smaller studies in healthy adults have shown reduced reaction time on cognitive tasks after lion's mane supplementation, though the effect sizes are modest.
These results are encouraging but should be treated as preliminary. The body of human research is still small.
Sourcing matters more than dose
The hericenone content of lion's mane varies dramatically based on where and how the mushroom was grown. Fruiting-body extracts grown on hardwood logs typically contain measurable hericenone levels. Mycelium grown on grain often contains undetectable hericenones (and may instead carry residual grain compounds).
This is why simple "X mg of lion's mane" claims on supplement labels can be misleading. A product can technically contain lion's mane and have no measurable amount of the active compounds. When our lion's mane gummies launch, we'll be publishing the hericenone content of each batch via third-party HPLC testing on the Certificate of Analysis.
What this article isn't
It isn't medical advice, it isn't a treatment claim, and it doesn't suggest lion's mane prevents or treats any disease. The research is interesting and ongoing. Statements about our future products have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Sources
- Kawagishi H, Shimada A, Shirai R, et al. (1994). Erinacines A, B and C, strong stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, from the mycelia of Hericium erinaceum. Tetrahedron Letters, 35(10), 1569–1572.
- Mori K, Obara Y, Hirota M, et al. (2008). Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 31(9), 1727–1732.
- Lai PL, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V, et al. (2013). Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's Mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 15(6), 539–554.
- Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, et al. (2009). Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research, 23(3), 367–372.
- Kawagishi H, Ando M, Sakamoto H, et al. (1991). Hericenones C, D and E, stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, from the mushroom Hericium erinaceum. Tetrahedron Letters, 32(35), 4561–4564.