Walk into your local health shop these days, and you’d be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed. From greens powders to sea moss gummies, the shelves are packed with supplements promising a myriad of benefits for our mood, stress, energy levels and more. It’s hard to know where to start.

But the cost of stocking up on all these substances aside, we don’t need to take lots of supplements to be healthy. In fact, most of us should be able to get the vitamins and minerals we need from a balanced, whole food diet, and taking too many unnecessary supplements could do more harm than good. Instead, we should be approaching supplements for what they are – supplementary tools to help with areas of our nutrition and health where we’re otherwise lacking or in need of a bit of support. 

Lion’s mane is one supplement that could offer this kind of support. A type of mushroom that’s been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for many years, lion’s mane mushrooms are adaptogenic – meaning they help the body to regulate and respond to stress, anxiety and fatigue. They also contain compounds which have been shown to benefit brain health, which is why you’ll often see lion’s mane recommended for people who are struggling to cope with stress or need help concentrating at work. Oh, and they’re called ‘lion’s mane’ because their fluffy appearance looks like a full lion’s mane.

To understand a bit more about what makes these weird and wonderful mushrooms so special, we asked Bex Prade, a clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner, to tell us all about lion’s mane and what to look for if you’re in the market for a lion’s mane supplement. 

There’s a reason why lion’s mane has been revered for so long: it’s incredibly nutritious.

“Lion’s mane contains a wealth of nutrients, including beta-glucans, triterpenes, phenols and egosterols,” explains Prade. “These bioactive molecules contribute significantly to its health-promoting properties.”

It’s worth noting that much of the research into lion’s mane has been conducted on animals or small groups of people, so more work needs to be done before we can say for certain which benefits it can offer. However, one of the most exciting potential benefits it’s been linked to is an ability to protect against degenerative brain diseases (such as dementia) and increase cognitive performance.

It’s thought these benefits could be related to the hericenones and erinacines, compounds that the mushroom has been found to be rich in. “These compounds are known to promote nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, which is essential for neuron health,” Prade explains. “This makes lion’s mane a promising supplement for cognitive enhancement, potentially improving memory and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.” 

A 2020 study looking into the potential role of lion’s mane in the management of Alzheimer’s disease found that, for people with mild symptoms, daily supplementation for 49 weeks improved cognitive test scores when compared with a placebo.

But the potential benefits don’t stop there. Just some that lion’s mane has been linked to include:

• Improved mental health
• Immune system support
• Less inflammation and oxidative stress
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Cancer-resisting properties

Of course, as with all supplements, it’s important to consult a doctor or health professional or do extensive research before adding something new into your diet.  

Keen to give lion’s mane a go? Keep these key points in mind when shopping for a supplement:

1. Look for high quality ingredients

To decipher the quality of the ingredients, you want to consider the source of the mushroom, whether the manufacturer uses full spectrum or extracts and whether there are any fillers.

“The supplement should use hericium erinaceus (the latin name for lion’s mane), specifically cultivated in clean environments, free from contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides,” Prade says.

“Look for supplements that include both the fruiting body and mycelium, as both parts contain beneficial compounds. And make sure the supplement doesn’t contain unnecessary fillers, binders, or artificial additives.”

2. Consider standardisation, potency and form

You want a supplement that delivers everything you want, and considering these three areas is a great way to do that. Standardisation is a process manufacturers use to ensure that each supplement contains the same number of active ingredients – in a lion’s mane supplement, that means you might see the percentage of beta-glucans, heicenones and erinacines in each capsule.  

“When it comes to potency, you need to check dosage recommendations,” Prade explains. “Effective supplements typically provide clear dosage guidelines based on research or clinical studies.”

She continues: “For form, lion’s mane supplements come in various forms like capsules, powders and tinctures, so you need to choose the form that best suits your preferences and lifestyle.”

3. Third-party testing and certification

Supplements are a largely unregulated industry, but there are a few things you can keep an eye out for to ensure you’re getting the quality you deserve.

“Look for products tested by third-party laboratories to verify the absence of contaminants and the accuracy of the ingredients list,” Prade suggests. “Certifications such as organic, non-GMO and good manufacturing practices (GMP) can indicate higher quality standards.”

4. Choose a reputable brand

There are plenty of great brands out there, so look for ones that offer detailed information about their ingredients sourcing and manufacturing processes. 

Images: Getty