By Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, Alyona Weinstein, MSN, FNP-BC, and Yen Nien (Jason) Hou, PharmD, Dipl. OM, LAc
Lion’s mane is an edible mushroom widely used in East Asian cuisine that is named for its long, white dangling spines that resemble a lion’s mane. It has a long medicinal history of use in East Asian and Native American traditions for treating infections and lowering stress and anxiety. Lion’s mane supplements are promoted for improving mood, cognitive health, and immunity.
What the Research Tells Us
Mechanistic studies show that lion’s mane’s bioactive compounds, hericenones and erinacines, promote the synthesis and secretion of nerve growth factor, as well as neuroprotective, antineuroinflammatory, and cognition-improving effects. In the context of oncology, lion’s mane showed anticancer effects in preclinical studies, but no human studies support the findings.
Data on the clinical effects of lion’s mane are limited. In a trial involving 77 individuals with a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or higher (age = 53.2 ± 0.7 years), eight weeks of supplementation with lion’s mane extract led to significant improvements in depression (29.4%), anxiety (33.2%), and sleep disorders (39.1%) compared to baseline.
In another study, researchers randomized 30 adults aged 50–80 diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment to receive either a placebo or lion’s mane extract powder (four 250 mg tablets taken three times daily) for 16 weeks. The authors reported significant between-group differences in cognitive function scale at weeks 8, 12, and 16. Scientists saw similar improvements in a trial of 31 participants aged 50 years or older with a standard value of mental state examination for dementia. Participants randomized to the lion’s mane extract (four 0.8 g supplements daily for 12 weeks) had notable improvements in cognitive function compared to those in the control group.
Lion’s mane may also have positive effects on mood. In a four-week randomized study of 30 menopausal individuals, those who took lion’s mane (four 500 mg supplements) had a significant reduction in depression compared to placebo. Additionally, researchers conducting a randomized trial of 41 younger adults aged 18–45 years found subjective reductions in stress following 28-day supplementation with a daily dose of 1.8 g of lion’s mane. However, researchers conducting a study of 24 college-age students did not find any effect on cognition after supplementation with 10 g of lion’s mane per day for four weeks.
Although dietary use of lion’s mane is considered safe, a clinical study reported patients experiencing abdominal discomfort, nausea, and skin rash.
What Oncology Nurses Need to Know
Small studies suggest that lion’s mane may help reduce stress and depression as well as improve cognition. Larger, well-designed trials are warranted to expand the evidence base.
Lion’s mane is generally well tolerated. However, oncology nurses should be aware of its potential side effects and encourage patients to discuss the source of supplementation with their oncology and integrative medicine teams, particularly pharmacists, to make informed decisions.