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Does lion's mane mushroom boost memory?
Brain-cell growth is seen in lab and animal studies; small human trials show mixed, mostly modest results.
What you hear: “Lion's mane mushroom supplements sharpen memory and grow new brain cells.”
What the studies found
The 'grows brain cells' idea comes from lab and animal work, where lion's mane compounds (erinacines) boosted nerve growth and improved memory in rodents. In people, the trials are few and small. In a 2009 Japanese trial of 30 older adults with mild memory problems, those taking lion's mane for 16 weeks scored better on a memory scale, but the gain faded within 4 weeks of stopping. In 41 healthy young adults, a single dose sped up one reaction-time test an hour later, and 28 days of use gave only a non-significant trend toward less stress, with mostly no effect otherwise. A single dose in 18 healthy young adults did not improve overall thinking or mood.
Take care: Usually well tolerated in short studies, but stomach upset, headache and allergic reactions have been reported; people with mushroom allergies should avoid it.
What you could do
Lion's mane is a tasty edible mushroom, but treat memory-boosting pills as an experiment, not a proven brain booster.
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Not medical advice. General information from published studies, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk with your doctor before starting a supplement or changing a medicine, especially if you are pregnant, take other medicines or have a health condition.
How we judged it
Not proven: Not enough good human evidence yet, either way. We judge the claim as it is usually said online, not the habit itself. Trials assign people at random, so they can show cause; observed studies follow people and show a link, not proof. Last checked: October 2026.
The studies, in their own words
- Spangenberg et al. Front Pharmacol 2025
These erinacines were also anti-inflammatory, enhanced neurogenesis and cell survival, and improved cognitive and behavioral outcomes in vivo.
- Mori et al. Phytother Res 2009
The Yamabushitake group's scores increased with the duration of intake, but at week 4 after the termination of the 16 weeks intake, the scores decreased significantly.
- Docherty et al. Nutrients 2023
Analysis revealed that following a single dose of Hericium erinaceus, participants performed quicker on the Stroop task (p = 0.005) at 60 min post dose. A trend towards reduced subjective stress was observed following 28-day supplementation (p = 0.051).
- Surendran et al. Front Nutr 2025
In conclusion, acute consumption of H. erinaceus fruiting body did not demonstrate a significant overall improvement in cognitive performance and mood compared to the placebo and any benefits may be task or domain specific.
- Menon et al. Front Nutr 2025
Although commonly unreported, potential side effects of HE include stomach discomfort, headache, and allergic reactions.
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