Lion's mane is one of the most popular substances being used for its nootropic benefits today. Over the past few years, it's become one of the most talked about nootropics. And for good reason: it's safe and seems to be effective for a lot of people.

In this post, we're going to look at the nootropic benefits of lion's mane, its potential side effects, optimal dosage, and the best places to buy. But first, let's take a peek at exactly what lion's mane is.

What Is Lion's Mane?

Lion's mane is a mushroom known to have a variety of health benefits. Though commonly known as lion's mane or lion's mane mushroom, the scientific name is hericium erinaceus. Lion's mane is also sometimes called the following:

• Yamabushitake¹
• Monkey Head
• Bearded Tooth Mushroom
• Satyr's Blood
• Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom
• Pom Pom Mushroom
• Bearded Tooth Fungus²

Lion's mane is native to North America, Asia, and Europe.³ It has been studied scientifically and continues to be of interest to researchers. Lion's mane has gained a lot of attention over the past few years for its ability to improve a number of cognitive and other biological functions.

When taken as a supplement, lion's mane extract can have a variety of powerful nootropic benefits. But it's not alone: there are several nootropic mushrooms being used around the world today. They've become especially popular over the past few years. However, none has been more popular than lion's mane. Now let's take a look at some of its nootropic benefits.

Benefits Of Lion's Mane

Nootropic users have reported a number of cognitive benefits from taking lion's mane. Several scientific studies support these claims and show that it is safe to use. The nootropic benefits of lion's mane include:

• Improved cognitive function
• Improved mood
• Decreased anxiety
• Improved memory
• Reduced inflammation
• Neuroregeneration
• Induces Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) synthesis⁴

There are hundreds of anecdotal reports of people using lion's mane for its nootropic benefits. This Reddit thread is just one of many where users list all the positive effects of supplementing with lion's mane. But there has also been some scientific research done to support these claims.

One study⁵ done on participants with mild cognitive impairment found that the people taking lion's mane had improved scores on cognitive tests after just a few weeks. Laboratory tests showed that there were no adverse effects to taking lion's mane.

Another study⁶ done on menopausal women showed that lion's mane was able to improve mood and decrease anxiety. After four weeks of supplementing with lion's mane, the women showed improved scores on both anxiety and depression scales. Again, no side effects were reported.

Several bioactive compounds have been found in lion's mane that are responsible for its benefits. These include polysaccharides, terpenoids, isoindolinones, sterols, and myconutrients, which can have neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties.⁷ Several bioactive compounds found in lion's mane also been shown to have immunomodulatory, anti-cancerous, and antioxidant activity.⁸

Lion's Mane Side Effects/Warnings

Lion's mane seems to be incredibly well-tolerated. No side effects or abnormal laboratory findings were reported in any of the human studies done with lion's mane. The only side effects that have been reported in anecdotal reports are nausea and upset stomach. If you experience either of these, taking lion's mane with food may help.

As with all drugs, supplements, and lifestyle changes, you should consult a physician before starting or stopping anything new. Most physicians are not generally familiar with nootropics, so you may have to educate yours about lion's mane.

Lion's Mane Dosage

There is no standard dosage for lion's mane. The most in-depth human study used 1,000 milligrams (mg), 3 times a day for a total of 3,000mg (3g).

Most supplements contain 500 mg of lion's mane per capsule. That would mean taking two capsules, three times a day.

More studies need to be done to figure out the optimal dosage for lion's mane. 3,000 mg a day was well-tolerated in clinical trials with no serious side effects occurring and seems to be a common dosage used by nootropics users.

Where To Buy Lion's Mane

Lion's mane can be purchased from a variety of places online, including Amazon. However, it is rarely found in brick and mortar stores like supermarkets and department stores. Lion's mane usually comes either in capsules or as a powder.

Pure Nootropics has an excellent 8:1 lion's mane extract product in capsule form. They are one of the Nootropics Zone's trusted vendors. In fact, Pure Nootropics has been on our list of trusted nootropic vendors longer than any other company.

Conclusion

As we have seen, lion's mane can have a number of potent nootropic benefits. It has become more and more popular over the past few years and with good reason: it works for a lot of people and all evidence suggests that it's safe.

Nootropic users from all over the world are using lion's mane – sometimes by itself or by adding it to their stacks. Have you used this interesting nootropic? Feel free to tell us about your experience with lion's mane in the comments section at the bottom.

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