Lion's Mane Mushrooms: 4 Health Benefits & How To Use Them

It's always an added bonus when delicious ingredients also happen to be functional foods that bring more benefit to your meal than just an expansive flavor profile.

There's a pretty good breadth of research on the benefits of lion's mane mushrooms, and while the studies largely involve cell or animal trials rather than human studies, the impact of this ingredient appears to be wide-reaching.

Supporting brain health through your diet is not a new concept, and lion's mane mushrooms may actually be able to aid in keeping your mental function up to par.

"Animal, test tube, and human studies have shown supplementation with lion's mane mushroom extract or powder may benefit brain health by stimulating growth of brain cells and nerve cells1 by protecting those cells from damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, boosting mental functioning, and promoting recovery from nervous system injuries," explains mbg Collective member and registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN. 

Along the lines of supporting brain health, other studies have been conducted regarding the potential benefits of this mushroom for levels of anxiety and depression3. "[This is] possibly due to improved functioning in the hippocampus, but again, more research in humans is needed," notes Cording. 

Outside of the brain-boosting benefits of lion's mane mushrooms, there's also evidence that these fungi may also have anti-inflammatory properties4 that can support your entire body.

"Researchers believe the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of lion's mane mushrooms may be part of how they work to benefit health, but more research is needed to further understand these mechanisms," notes Cording.

When it comes to gut health, there are a wide range of foods and habits that you can follow to keep things on track. Now you can add lion's mane mushrooms to the list.

"They are considered a 'functional food' and can act as a 'prebiotic,' supporting the gastrointestinal tract microbiota (gut flora) due to their beta-glucan polysaccharide component," explains Johansen. 

When it comes to incorporating this bold mushroom into your daily diet, the options are endless. "I like to sauté them in olive oil with some shallots and garlic," suggests Cording. "They also crisp up well and make a delicious soup or salad topper. You can also find it in some functional food products, like mushroom coffee.

Although there is no specific, set dosage for lion's mane mushrooms, Knudsen notes that they can safely be consumed in high quantities, particularly in mushroom extracts. "When extracts from the mushroom are incorporated into supplements, they are usually done so in high quantities, much higher than what you would get from consuming the whole mushroom," she explains. 

Of course, more research should be conducted before looking to lion's mane mushrooms as the ultimate solution for any health concern; however, there is enough promising evidence that this functional food can have a positive impact on your well-being from a nutritional standpoint.