If you, like me, are a woman of a certain age (mid-forties) who occasionally hangs out on TikTok, you’ve probably been inspired by videos about the new miracle supplement, Lion’s Mane Mushroom. In fact, there are over 72 million posts about TikTokers praising it for its endless list of benefits, from better concentration to improved sleep and glowing skin.
Growing on tree trunks, lion’s mane is formed Hericium erinaceus, the white mushroom gets its name from its dirty, rotten appearance. It has a history of benefits in East Asian medicine and is believed to improve symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, including brain fog and mood swings.
Its active ingredients include polysaccharides, erinacine, herizarin, steroids, alkaloids, and lactones, which are believed to help protect the body from inflammation and promote nerve cell growth and regeneration.
A self-confessed supplement junkie (I’ve also been on HRT for three years, and more recently, testosterone, omega 3, vitamin D and magnesium, to name a few), I couldn’t resist trying Lion’s Mane. . It’s pretty much the same as all the other supplements I take.
I usually have two small, tasteless capsules with water after breakfast. I bought them from Amazon and chose one made from organic mushrooms, which cost less than £25 for 120 pods.
As someone who usually has the concentration of a goldfish, after a few weeks of taking it, I felt that I was able to focus a little better. While working on this piece I realized, for example, that half an hour had gone by without me checking my phone once (never unintentionally distracted). When I was trying to remember the name of a girl I went to school with that I ran into a few days ago, it came to me almost immediately. I wondered if the lion cuff would improve my memory a bit.
I also slept a little better. But it is not clear whether the children could not get up to drag them out of bed to the school or to the lion shed. Often it would take me hours to fall asleep, or I would wake up in the early hours of the morning when I couldn’t go back to sleep, but after three weeks of taking Leo, I can fall asleep easily and feel well rested.
So what do the experts say? Is it as good as TikTokers claim? One, @robertwblove, a neuroscientist with 2.2 million followers, claims it may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. A very bold claim – but does it test out?
Karen Newby, a nutritionist and author of The Natural Menopause Method, says there are a number of studies that suggest lion’s mane can have a positive effect on cognition and memory. One such example is a 2023 Northumbria University experiment that showed it can improve speed of cognitive function and mood. “This research is based on two chemicals in lions’ mane, hericinone and erinazine,” she explains. “These chemicals are thought to enhance the release of nerve growth factor (NGF), which regulates brain cell growth and survival.” Hence why it’s thought to be beneficial for things like memory and cognition — and potentially Alzheimer’s.
Newby says more research is needed, particularly in studies of the menopausal brain, an area that has been largely neglected until relatively recently.
The 2023 study concluded that most trials to date have been somewhat limited and provide only a general snapshot when investigating specific areas, such as cognitive decline or specific aspects of mood.
While the research doesn’t yet exist to fully back up the claims, Newby says that from her own first-hand experience, she’s seen beneficial effects for clients and herself from lion’s mane, including overcoming brain fog and helping with concentration.
Joanna Lyall, nutritional therapist and founder of Better Menopause Women’s Health Supplements, says lion’s mane is rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is a good source of essential minerals and vitamins. It also helps manage some of the symptoms we commonly associate with ADHD, she says.
“It’s not uncommon to be diagnosed with ADHD during menopause because of a drop in estrogen levels in the brain, which can exacerbate symptoms,” Lyall notes.
As someone self-diagnosed with ADHD after a lifetime of persistent incoherence and frequent restlessness, this piqued my interest. It wasn’t until my son was diagnosed that I recognized many of my own similar traits – short attention span, hyper-attention, if it was something I was interested in, daydreaming and so on. Can Simha Manja help improve my mental clarity and concentration levels?
Lyall also takes the supplement and gives her nerves to the various son. “I take the lion’s mane most days and give it to my son who has ADHD and my experience is that it helps with better focus and a clearer mind. When I see menopausal women with these symptoms in my clinic, I often recommend lion’s mane as a supplement.
According to Lyall, there are a number of ways that mushroom supplementation can help ease brain-related menopausal symptoms. For example, it helps stimulate the release of NGF. This action, she says, can mimic some antidepressant drugs by providing what’s known as “neurotransmitter support” that regulates dopamine and serotonin levels and has a positive effect on mood and focus.
“It also helps reduce inflammation that can contribute to fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog,” adds Lyall.
“While research is ongoing, as with most individual nutrients, scientific evidence for the benefits of lion’s mother is still limited,” Lyall says. “Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, research funding for supplements is often lower, leading to fewer large-scale studies. Additionally, safety trials for supplements are less rigorous or necessary because the risks are generally negligible.
Choosing to buy the best quality supplement you can afford from companies that invest in the best ingredients at therapeutic dosage levels is key. Newby recommends Bristol Fungarium’s lion’s mane tincture or Hybrid Herbs lion’s mane powder as good sources of organic capsules.
However, it’s also worth noting that it doesn’t work for everyone. Rhysa Phommachanh, healthcare specialist at Landys Chemist, a London-based pharmacy, says: “Lion’s mane mushrooms are generally considered safe for most people to consume as part of a daily supplement regime. However, some people, such as pregnant and lactating women, those taking blood thinners or medications for diabetes, or people with mushroom allergies, are advised to consult a healthcare professional before taking them.
It’s still early days for me and it’s been almost a month since taking the Lion Cuff and I’m yet to see a noticeable difference, but after talking to Newby and Lyall, I’m definitely sticking with it. It turns out that it might be more than just a fad, and in this case, some of those pesky TikTokers might actually be right.
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